Zihvaxy  of  ^he  theological  ^tmimry 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


-a^t- 


PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  K.   LeFevre 


RUFUS  H.  LEFEVER 


■,t^, 


4\  ^.  ouJ^^i/'t^ 


/^,  X  C.  ^^n^c^L- 


Z  '?^^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/radiantlifeofverOOsmit 


'xa.a 


i^rML^ 


Af'-<  21  1952 

THE  RADIANT  LIFE 

OF 

VERA  B.  BLINN 


BY 


7??, 


MRS.  J.  HAL  SMITH 


1921 

THE  OTTERBEIN  PRESS 
W,  R.  Funk.  Agent 
DAYTON,  OHIO 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   I 

Childhood     7 

CHAPTER    II 

High  School  and  College  Days   17 

CHAPTER   III 

A  Young  Teacher  in  York  College 35 

CHAPTER    IV 

Widening  Spheres  of  Service   43 

CHAPTER  V 

A  High  School  Teacher 59 

CHAPTER    VI 

Editor  of  The  Evangel   T^ 

CHAPTER  VII 

General  Secretary  of  the  Women's  Missionary  Association    87 

CHAPTER    VIII 

Her    Crowning    97 

ADDRESS 

Calling  out  Recruits   113 

ADDRESS 

The  Untouched  Cross  125 

EXTRACT    OF    ADDRESS 

'Tn  Christ"  133 

Favorite  Poems  of  Vera  Blinn 13^. 


"One  life  to  he  lived  and  only  one, 

And  not  what  zue  measure,  hut  what  zve  give, 
Is  the  measure  with  God  of  the  life  we  live, 

And  of  work  that  is  bravely  done." 


'An  angel  paused  in  his  onward  flight, 

With  a  seed  of  love,  and  truth,  and  right, 

And  said,  'O  where  can  this  seed  be  sown 

Where  'twill  yield  most  fruit  when  fully  groivnf 

The  Savior  heard  and  said,  as  He  smiled, 
'Place  it  at  once  in  the  heart  of  a  child.'  " 


CHAPTER  I 

CHILDHOOD 

Vera  Belle  Blinn  was  born  in  Penalosa,  an  obscure 
town  in  Kansas,  on  Lincoln's  birthday,  February  12, 
1890.  Two  great  blessings  were  hers  upon  her  advent 
into  the  world :  a  Christian  home  and  a  warm  welcome 
for  the  baby.  She  herself  would  perhaps  wish  us  to 
add  a  third — she  was  born  in  Kansas,  the  State  she 
loved  best.  Both  parents  were  of  strong  religious  con- 
victions and  earnest  workers  in  their  local  church.  Her 
father  kept  the  general  store  at  Penalosa.  Up  till 
this  time  there  was  only  one  child  in  the  family,  a 
daughter,  Bertha,  then  sixteen  years  of  age.  All  her 
life  Bertha  had  wanted  a  baby  in  the  home.  There 
was  an  orphanage  in  a  neighboring  city  which  she 
called  the  "poor  house,"  and  over  and  over  again  she 
had  begged  her  parents  to  go  to  the  "poor  house" 
and  get  a  baby.  The  only  satisfaction  she  ever  re- 
ceived was  her  father's  joking  remark  that  it  was 
Hkely  they  would  all  need  to  go  to  the  poor  house  be- 
fore long. 

One  year  Bertha  went  away  to  Kingman,  Kansas, 
to  attend  high  school.  While  there  she  received  a 
telegram  one  morning  calling  her  home.     Something 


8  Childhood 

which  she  read  between  the  lines  awakened  eager  ex- 
pectations and  sent  the  blood  racing  through  her  veins. 
In  her  haste  to  be  home  she  could  not  wait  for  the 
eleven  o'clock  passenger  train,  so  took  the  nine  o'clock 
freight  for  Penalosa.  Three  days  later,  amid  a  be- 
wilderment of  joy,  she  held  in  her  arms  a  daintily 
dressed  new  baby,  her  own  little  sister.  "I  gave  her 
the  first  kiss,"  says  Bertha,  "and  the  very  first  time 
she  opened  her  big  brown  eyes  and  looked  into  mine 
she  completely  ravished  my  heart." 

It  was  a  joy  to  the  mother  to  see  the  delight  these 
sisters  had  in  each  other  and  she  gladly  excused  Bertha 
from  the  other  duties  of  the  home  and  gave  her  the 
monopoly  of  the  baby.  Early  and  late  this  fond  sister 
worked,  fashioning  the  most  beautiful  baby  garments, 
trimming  them  with  lace  which  her  own  hands  had 
wrought,  till  they  were  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
all  the  neighbor  women.  Bertha  washed  the  little  clothes 
and  hung  out  to  dry  whole  long  lines  full  of  them. 
Then  she  would  stay  up  till  midnight,  if  necessary,  to 
iron  them,  so  that  her  beloved  little  sister  might  be  kept 
always  fresh  and  neat.  Nothing  was-  ever  too  good  for 
that  blessed  baby.  One  day  a  neighbor  woman  told 
Bertha  that  if  she  wished  her  little  sister  to  grow  to  be 
a  famous  woman  she  must  always  place  her  clothes 
high.  Of  course  Bertha  had  no  real  confidence  in  this 
superstition,  but  to  prove  the  height  of  her  ambitions 
for  her  baby  sister  she  often  used  to  climb  upon  a  high 
stool  and  hang  the  baby  clothes  on  the  highest  avail- 
able point — the  corners  of  a  motto,  "Nearer  My  God 
To  Thee,"  that  hung  above  the  door  of  their  home. 


Childhood  9 

Bertha's  devotion  to  Vera  led  her  to  spend  much 
time  with  her,  teaching  her  all  the  cutest  baby  pranks, 
and  then  taking  her  out  to  show  her  off  to  her  neigh- 
bors. Later  she  taught  her  how  to  talk  and  read.  By 
the  time  she  was  three  years  old  she  had  learned  all 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  and  would  read  the  letters 
of  words  before  she  had  any  idea  what  they  spelled. 
She  had  a  bewitching  little  habit  of  doing  this,  and 
then  jumping  at  her  own  conclusions  as  to  what  they 
spelled,  much  to  the  amusement  of  her  elders.  Cross- 
ing a  railroad  one  day  she  saw  the  sign  "stop"''  and 
read,  "s-t-o-p^  whistle!"  At  another  time  she  saw 
the  sign  "producf/^  along  the  front  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
low's Hall  of  the  town,  and  read,  ''p-r-o-d-u-c-e,  Odd 
Fellows'  Hall!" 

Vera's  father  was  a  great  lover  of  children  and  al- 
ways exercised  a  strong  influence  over  them.  His 
own  little  daughter  he  called  his  "pretty  girl"  and  he 
loved  her  with  all  the  devotion  of  his  big  father  heart. 
One  day  when  Vera  was  not  yet  three  years  old, 
Bertha  took  her  from  their  home  in  Bently,  where 
they  then  lived,  to  Wichita  to  have  her  picture  taken. 
Vera  somehow  could  not  get  away  from  the  idea  that 
her  father  did  not  know  of  their  going,  though  the 
matter  was  clear  to  her  older  sister.  When  the  train 
started  Vera  suddenly  burst  out:  ''There,  the  train's 
going  and  papa  won't  know  where  his  pretty  girl  has 
gone  to."  The  picture  where  she  holds  the  banana  in 
her  hand  is  the  one  taken  at  that  time. 


10  Childhood 

Mr.  Blinn  had  long  felt  God's  call  upon  him  for 
the  ministry,  but  hesitated  to  answer  it.  He  had  very 
high  ideals  of  what  a  minister  of  Christ  should  be  and 
felt  keenly  his  inability  to  measure  up  to  them.  He 
would  have  to  begin  too  late  in  life  to  secure  the 
preparation  that  he  deemed  necessary  to  his  highest 
success.  Because  of  this  he  cherished  a  hope  that 
some  day  God  would  give  him  a  son  for  the  Gospel 
ministry  in  whom  his  high  ambitions  might  be  ful- 
filled, and  then  perhaps  he  himself  could  be  excused. 
In  1893,  when  Vera  was  three  years  old,  a  little 
brother  came  into  the  home.  Her  father  hailed  him 
as  his  long-wished-for  "preacher-boy,"  and  they 
named  him  Paul.  So  veiled  was  the  future  from  the 
father's  vision  that  he  could  not  then  sense  that  He 
who  has  ''chosen  the  weak,  things  of  the  world'to  con- 
found the  mighty,"  and  who  tells  us  that  in  Christ 
Jesus  there  is  "neither  male  nor  female,"  would  yet 
use  his  daughter,  in  a  mightier  way  than  he  ever  dared 
to  hope,  for  the  promotion  of  God's  work  in  the 
world. 

Mr.  Blinn's  conviction  that  he  should  enter  the 
ministry  finally  became  so  strong  that  he  felt  he  could 
not  longer  refuse,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1894,  he  made 
his  consecration  complete.  At  the  following  session 
of  the  Arkansas  Valley  conference  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church  he  was  appointed  to  his  first  charge. 
His  devoted  wife  and  family  gladly  shared  his  new  re- 
sponsibilities and  entered  with  him  heartily  into  his 
work. 


tafa  s  pretty  girl 


Childhood  11 

When  a  tiny  tot  of  three,  Vera  gave  her  first  reci- 
tation at  a  convention  of  the  Young  People's  Christian 
Union,  and  did  so  well  that  special  mention  of  it  was 
made  in  the  village  paper  the  next  day.  Several  days 
afterwards  a  man  who  had  been  present  at  the  con- 
vention called  at  the  Blinn  home  and  asked  Vera  to 
repeat  the  recitation.  She  promptly  did  so  and  was 
given  a  twenty- five  cent  piece  as  a  reward.  At  the 
age  of  five  she  was  placed  before  a  county  Sunday- 
school  convention  to  recite  the  books  of  the  Bible, 
which  she  did  perfectly.  When  six  years  old  she 
entered  her  sister's  school,  and  under  this  loving  tutxDr- 
ship  was  enabled  to  carry  on  work  far  beyond  her 
years.  Two  years  later  the  family  moved  to  Attica, 
Kansas,  where  she  was  examined  by  the  new  school 
teacher,  who  was  amazed  to  find  that  she  was  ready 
for  the  fourth  grade. 

Even  as  a  little  child  Vera  delighted  to  write  and 
receive  letters,  as  she  saw  the  older  people  do.  So 
she  would  write  letters,  give  them  to  her  father  to 
mail,  and  then  wait  for  the  answer.  Her  father  would 
put  them  in  his  pocket,  scribble  an  answer  on  the 
sly,  and  a  few  days  later  would  hand  it  to  her.  One 
day  Vera  suddenly  asked  him  if  there  was  any  mail 
for  her.  Forgetting  that  he  had  failed  to  answer  her 
last  letter  he  thrust  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  took  out 
some  papers  and  gave  them  to  her.  A  moment  later 
she  looked  at  him  in  surprise  and  exclaimed,  "Why, 
they  have  sent  my  own  letter  back  to  me!" 

Bertha  was  an  earnest  Christian,  and  an  active 
worker    with    the   Junior    Endeavor    Society    of    her 


12  Childhood 

father's  church.  It  was  her  practice  to  look  up  the 
Junior  programs  as  given  in  the  "Watchword,'*  write 
out  the  Scripture  references,  and  have  the  children  find 
and  read  them.  All  this  was  full  of  interest  to  her  little 
sister,  who  soon  decided  that  she  was  going  to  hold 
some  meetings  of  her  own.  So  she  would  find  the 
"Watchword/"  look  up  the  references  write  them  out, 
put  them  at  the  proper  places  in  her  Bible,  then  go 
into  her  "play-meeting,"  sit  down  behind  a  table,  and 
turning  to  these  passages  read  them  in  order,  just  as 
she  had  seen  them  do  in  the  real  meetings. 

There  was  always  a  warmth  of  religious  atmosphere 
in  the  Blinn  home.  Every  day  the  father  read  the 
Bible  and  knelt  in  prayer  with  his  family.  The  in- 
fluence of  this  family  altar  probably  had  much  to  do 
with  shaping  the  course  of  Vera's  after  life.  She 
herself  was  taught  to  pray  from  her  earliest  child- 
hood. She  was  converted  and  united  with  the  church 
at  ten,  being  received  by  her  father,  who  was  then 
pastor  at  Attica.  It  was  about  this  time  that  her 
brother  Paul,  then  only  seven,  received  the  rite  of 
Christian  baptism  at  the  hands  of  his  father.  Being 
so  young,  an  effort  was  made  to  persuade  him  to  be 
sprinkled,  but  he  had  somewhere  seen  a  picture  of 
Jesus  going  down  into  the  water  and  he  stoutly  re- 
pHed,  *'No,  sir,  I  want  to  be  baptized  just  the  same 
way  Jesus  was,"  so  his  wish  was  granted,  and  he  was 
immersed.  This  scene  left  a  distinct  impression  upon 
the  other  members  of  the  family. 

When  Vera  and  Paul  were  aged  respectively  ten 
and  seven,  a  rather  remarkable  and  what  might  have 


Childhood 

proved  a  very  serious  accident  happened  to  them.  It 
all  began  on  the  day  of  the  county  Sunday-school 
convention  when  they  had  the  parade.  Master  Paul 
Blinn  had  been  proclaimed  marshall  of  the  day.  He 
was  dressed  in  a  blue  serge  suit,  with  a  brilliant  red 
sash  about  his  waist,  then  seated  on  a  beautiful  spotted 
pony,  and  told  that  his  business  was  to  keep  order. 
Proudly  he  rode  up  and  down  the  line,  exercising  the 
full  authority  vested  in  him.  At  the  close  of  this  wonder- 
ful day  Paul  reluctantly  gave  up  his  pony  and  went 
home,  but  over  in  the  pasture  close  to  his  home  he  saw 
a  pretty  little  buckskin  pony  and  was  told  that  it  be- 
longed to  him.  An  uncle  had  brought  it  during  his 
absence,  and  left  it  for  him  to  keep  as  his  very  own. 
Paul's  joy  was  unbounded  and  he  at  once  named  his 
new  friend  "Billy."  He  was  up  bright  and  early  next 
morning  and  ready  for  a  ride  on  Billy.  Vera  begged 
him  to  let  her  ride  some  of  the  time,  especially  as  he 
had  had  the  honor  the  previous  day.  But  Paul,  in 
very  un-Paul-like  fashion,  gave  her  to  understand  that 
the  pony  belonged  to  him  and  there  was  no  more  time 
for  riding  than  he  needed  himself,  so  she  was  obliged 
to  look  helplessly  on.  Finally  he  rode  over  to  the  home 
of  one  of  his  playmates,  and  invited  him  to  climb  up 
behind  and  have  a  ride.  Then  the  two  boys  decided 
they  were  not  going  quite  fast  enough,  and  Paul,  being 
unacquainted  with  Billy's  possibilities,  ordered  his 
friend  to  give  him  a  kick  in  the  ribs  to  make  him  go 
faster.  The  boy  obeyed  and  the  next  instant  both  boys 
were  pitched  precipitately  into  the  mud.  A  passing 
neighbor  picked  up  Paul  supposing  him  to  be  dead. 


14  Childhood 

and  hurried  to  the  BHnn  home  with  him.  Mrs.  Blinn 
was  startled  when  she  saw  a  man  bringing  in  a  Hmp, 
unconscious  form,  and  heard  him  ask,  ''Is  this  your 
boy?"  Paul  was  laid  upon  the  bed  and  every  possible 
effort  made  to  restore  him,  but  he  remained  uncon- 
scious by  spells  all  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Soon 
after  noon  Vera  fell  to  thinking  about  that  pony, 
and  decided  that  if  she  was  ever  going  to  have  a  chance 
to  ride  him  she  would  have  to  take  it  while  her  brother 
lay  unconscious ;  so  she  bridled  him,  mounted  his 
back,  and  rode  bravely  over  to  the  home  of  a  girl 
friend  and  invited  her  to  join  in  the  ride.  A  little  later 
Vera  was  brought  home  more  seriously  hurt  than  Paul 
had  been.  All  that  afternoon  and  night  the  anxious 
parents  watched  and  worked  with  her,  wondering  if 
she  ever  would  regain  her  right  senses.  The  pony 
had  a  long  vacation  after  that  and  never  again  did  they 
attempt  to  ride  him  double. 

When  Vera  was  eleven,  a  terrible  blow  fell  upon  the 
home.  Her  father  fell  sick  and  died.  As  he  passed 
away  she  stood  by  his  bed  and  heard  him  say,  "If  this 
be  death,  oh,  how  sweet  it  is  to  die!"  He  had  made 
previous  arrangements  for  his  funeral,  which  was  held 
in  the  Pleasant  Valley  church  near  his  old  home  in 
Sedgwick  County,  Kansas.  It  was  the  same  church 
where  he  had  been  received  into  the  conference  and 
where  for  more  than  thirty  years,  first  as  layman  and 
later  as  pastor,  he  had  worked  so  unselfishly  and  so 
faithfully. 

Out  of  days  of  anguish  and  sorrow  some  of  the  best 
things   of  our  lives   are  born.     The  death  of  Vera 


q 

'-#pl 

f^ 

in;vi:i{i:.\i)  and  mks.  p.  n.  hlinx 

A.ND    CHILDREN 


Childhood  15 

Blinn's  father  made  indelible  impressions  on  her 
young  life.  It  was  over  his  grave  that  she  made  some 
of  her  holiest  vows  and  strengthened  those  ties  which 
forever  bound  her  to  the  love  and  service  of  God. 
The  sainted  father's  mantle,  all  contrary  to  his  ex- 
pectation, had  fallen  upon  his  daughter. 


'One  ship  drives  East,  another  drives  West, 

While  the  self-same  breezes  blow; 
It's  the  set  of  the  sail,  and  not  the  gale, 

Which  guides  them  where  they  go. 
Like  the  winds  of  the  sea  are  the  waves  of  the  fates, 

As  we  voyage  along  through  life; 
It's  the  set  of  the  soul  that  decides  the  goal, 

And  not  the  winds  of  the  strife." 


"Who  will  call  himself  consecrated  who  will  hold  back  the 
discipline  of  his  will  through  study?" 


From   Vera   Blinn's   Notebook 


CHAPTER  II 

HIGH  SCHOOL  AND  COLLEGE  DAYS 

"The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept 
Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept. 
Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night." 

"Miss  Blinn  was  a  talented  woman,"  we  say.  But 
her  talents  were  developed  and  multiplied  at  a  tre- 
mendous price.  How  great  a  cost  we  shall  see  as  we 
follow  her  through  those  years  in  high  school  and 
college. 

When  Mr.  BHnn  died  he  left  his  family  poor  in 
purse  but  rich  in  the  grace  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 
They  all  had  brave  hearts  and  a  keen  appreciation  of 
life's  swift  and  solemn  trusts.  The  eldest  daughter, 
Bertha,  had  now  married  a  minister,  Reverend  J.  W. 
Burkett,  and  her  going  away  from  home  placed  upon 
the  widowed  mother  the  full  responsibility  of  direct- 
ing the  lives  of  her  younger  children.  With  a  pur- 
pose to  provide  the  best  possible  education  for  them 
she  moved  to  Lecompton,  Kansas,  where  a  United 
Brethren  college  was  then  located.  A  little  later  the 
college  was  moved  to  Holton,  and  she  and  the  family 
followed. 


l8  High  School  and  College  Days 

Being  without  financial  support  and  compelled  to 
make  a  living  for  the  family,  the  mother  opened  a 
boarding  house  for  students,  and  for  a  series  of  years 
from  ten  to  fourteen  boarders  were  daily  ministered 
to  in  this  home.  With  unremitting  toil  and  sacrifice 
this  godly  mother  opened  the  way  for  educating  her 
children,  but  she  was  not  alone  in  her  effort ;  her  brave- 
spirited  daughter  stood  with  her  and  did  a  full  share 
in  caring  for  the  work  of  the  home.  The  things  Vera 
learned  in  her  struggle  to  contribute  to  the  fan.ily 
upkeep  formed  a  most  valuable  part  of  her  education. 
She  was  a  veritable  "Martha"  in  the  home,  helping 
her  mother  to  keep  the  house  clean  and  orderly,  doing 
the  ironings,  washing  dishes,  setting  tables  and  wait- 
ing on  them.  In  addition  to  this  she  often  clerked 
in  a  store  on  Saturdays.  Early  and  late  she  worked 
till  people  wondered  when  she  ever  had  time  for  study ; 
and  yet  one  of  her  fellow-students  says  he  never 
knew  her  to  come  to  class  with  her  lessons  unpre- 
pared. With  but  two  exceptions,  she  never  had  a 
grade  under  ninety  percent,  either  in  high  school  or 
college.  Some  Saturday  mornings  she  would  rise 
early  and  help  her  mother  clean  the  entire  house,  go  to 
the  store  and  work  all  day,  then  do  an  ironing  in  the 
evening.  And  on  Sunday,  stormy  or  fair,  she  would 
attend  every  church  service. 

It  was  while  a  student  at  Holton  that  Vera  began  to 
think  very  seriously  of  being  baptized  by  immersion. 
She  felt  that  she  would  never  be  quite  satisfied  till 
she. had  witnessed  for  her  Lord  by  being  "buried 
with    Him    in   baptism."     Friends   protested   against 


AS 


VERA    HLINN 
A     HIGH    SCHOOL    GIRL 


High  School  and  College  Days  19 

what  seemed  to  them  a  "humiliating  experience,"  but 
she  was  firm ;  so  one  beautiful  Sunday  afternoon  in 
late  springtime  her  favorite  professor,  Rev.  W.  S. 
Reese,  went  with  her  out  to  the  bend  of  the  creek 
northwest  of  Holton,  where  he  administered  to  her 
this  sacred  rite,  and  she  came  out  of  the  water  shout- 
ing the  praises  of  God.  A  great  company  of  high 
school  and  college  students  had  gathered  to  witness 
this  service,  and  went  away  deeply  impressed.  One 
of  Vera's  teachers,  recalling  in  later  years  this  scene, 
writes :  **I  remember  the  first  time  I  saw  her,  a  bright- 
eyed,  rosy-cheeked  girl  in  high  school  at  Holton.  I 
felt  sure  that  little  girl  would  be  heard  from.  Then 
when  Professor  Reese  walked  down  into  the  water 
and  buried  her  in  baptism,  she  came  out  glorified.  I 
never  saw  such  a  face.  There  seemed  a  halo  sur- 
rounding the  head  of  our  happy  college  girl  that  all 
could  see.  She  was  so  young,  so  capable,  so  willing 
to  give  her  all." 

During  her  first  year  in  college,  Vera  came  home 
one  day  in  a  high  state  of  excitement  and  said, 
"Mamma,  I  have  been  elected  delegate  to  the  Y,  W. 
C.  A.  Summer  Conference  at  Cascade,  Colorado. 
May  I  go  if  I  will  earn  the  money  to  pay  expenses?" 
"Why,  yes.  Vera,"  answered  her  mother,  "but  how 
in  the  world  will  you  ever  make  the  money?"  This 
was  the  momentous  question  to  Vera.  How  could  she 
ever  make  the  money?  There  was  a  young  man 
boarding  in  their  home  who  was  making  his  expenses 
through  college  by  selling  books.  She  went  at  once 
to  him  with  her  problem.     Why  could  she  not  sell 


22  High  School  and  College  Days 

ate  them,  laughing  and  joking  meanwhile  over  their 
embarrassing  plight.  They  wondered,  as  well  they 
might,  where  two  penniless  girls  would  be  able  to  find 
supper  and  lodging.  Finally  they  tackled  the  after- 
noon's work  in  hope  that  some  purchaser  might  be 
found  who  would  be  kind  enough  to  keep  them  over 
night  and  wait  for  the  pay  till  the  book  was  delivered. 
They  didn't  find  anybody  who  wished  to  trust 
strangers  quite  that  far,  but  Providence  provided  for 
their  need  in  a  very  unexpected  way.  One  of  them 
found  a  woman  who  wanted  to  go  out  for  the  eve- 
ning, only  she  didn't  have  anybody  to  take  care  of 
the  "kids."  This  was  their  chance.  They  promptly 
volunteered  to  take  care  of  the  children  if  she  would 
give  them  their  lodging  and  she  gladly  accepted  their 
offer.  There  wasn't  much  in  the  house  for  supper,, 
but  they  gathered  what  they  could  find  and  made  some 
pancakes — not  very  good  ones,  for  they  lacked  some 
necessary  ingredients,  but  "to  a  hungry  soul  any  bitter 
thing  is  sweet"  and  they  ate  them  with  a  good  appetite. 
When  the  supper  was  cleared  away  they  gave  all  the 
children  good  baths,  a  luxury  they  had  not  enjoyed  for 
many  a  day,  put  them  snugly  away  in  bed,  and  then 
went  to  slumberland  themselves,  feeling  that  they 
had  done  a  full  day's  work.  The  next  day  their  money 
arrived. 

Vera's  sister  now  lived  at  Wellington,  Kansas, 
where  her  husband  was  serving  as  pastor  of  a  church. 
The  second  summer  of  their  canvassing  Vera  and 
Rose  decided  to  cover  all  the  towns  between  Holton 
and  Wellington,  a  distance  of  more  than  two  hundred 


RECORD    BREAKERS 
VERA    HLINX    AND    ROSE    DAVIS    AS    DOOK    AGENTS 


High  School  and  College  Days  23 

miles,  making  the  sister's  home  their  terminal.  This 
they  accomplished  successfully,  and  then,  after  a  short 
rest,  Rose  left  them  and  started  alone  to  another  part 
of  the  state,  while  Vera  stayed  and  canvassed  Welling- 
ton and  the  nearby  towns.  One  day  she  started  off  for 
an  afternoon's  work,  but  came  rushing  back  in  less 
than  an  hour,  with  her  face  beaming,  to  tell  her  sister 
that  she  had  just  taken  an  order  for  a  twenty-dollar 
Bible.  A  woman  had  a  twenty-dollar  gold  piece  left 
her  years  ago  by  a  great-aunt  who  had  died,  and  she 
never  had  decided  what  to  do  with  it  till  that  day  when 
she  had  been  persuaded  to  invest  it  in  a  Bible.  "I 
couldn't  wait  till  evening,"  said  Vera,  "but  had  to 
rush  right  back  to  tell  you  the  good  news."  The 
Burkett  family  greatly  enjoyed  Vera's  stay  with  them, 
for  she  was  lively  and  full  of  good  cheer,  and  almost 
every  night  she  had  some  new  and  interesting  can- 
vassing experience  to  relate  to  them.  In  about  two 
weeks'  time  she  had  canvassed  that  entire  district  and 
sold  about  $250  worth  of  books.  Half  of  this  was 
clear  gain  to  her,  as  she  boarded  in  her  sister's  home 
and  had  no  personal  expense.  To  this  school  girl 
$125  looked  like  a  big  sum  of  money  for  two  weeks' 
work  and  she  was  radiant  with  joy  over  her  success. 
She  cleared  over  $300  in  all  that  summer.  She  was 
then  eighteen  years  of  age. 

In  her  work  as  book  agent  Vera  was  often  exposed 
to  the  weather.  She  was  obliged  to  stay  in  strange 
houses  wherever  they  would  give  her  refuge.  The 
books  were  heavy  to  carry,  especially  when  she  had 
"loads"  of  them  to  deliver  and  nothing  to  aid  her 


24  High  Scliool  and  College  Days 

other  than  her  own  wilHng  arms  and  feet.  Sometimes 
she  had  to  take  late  trains  or  wait  for  connections  in 
out-of-the-way  depots.  She  could  never  forget  one 
night  when  she  had  to  wait  for  a  midnight  train  and 
there  was  no  agent  at  the  station  and  no  light.  There 
was  one  house  not  far  off  and  she  went  there,  knocked, 
and  asked  if  she  might  come  in  and  stay  till  her  train 
was  due.  She  was  admitted  but  soon  found  that  the 
only  occupants  of  the  house  were  a  drunken  man  and 
a  dead  woman.  With  as  much  tact  as  possible  she 
soon  excused  herself  and  found  the  dark  railway  sta- 
tion welcome  quarters  after  such  an  experience. 

"My,  I  could  write  a  book  on  the  adventures  of  a 
book  agent!"  said  Miss  Blinn.  ''Sometimes  I  used  to 
board  a  train  to  go  to  a  new  place,  and  I  would  just 
wish  the  train  would  go  on  and  on  and  never  stop.  I 
have  often  gone  to  a  door  and  rung  the  bell,  and  then 
wished  no  one  would  ever  answer  it.  One  evening 
after  a  hard  day,  when  I  was  all  tired  out,  I  went  to 
the  door  of  a  house  and  knocked.  There  was  no 
answer ;  the  people  were  evidently  not  at  home,  or  else 
didn't  care  to  bother  with  a  book  agent.  Again  I 
knocked  and  there  was  no  response.  Just  then  a 
couple  of  fresh  looking,  daintily-dressed  girls  came 
tripping  past  and  glanced  up  at  me  and  said,  'That's 
right,  peck  away,  old  woman.'  "  And  at  this  recol- 
lection Miss  Blinn  broke  into  a  peal  of  laughter. 

Once  this  brave  girFs  courage  completely  failed  her. 
She  went  to  the  door  of  a  house  and  rang  the  bell,  then 
before  the  call  could  be  answered  she  turned  and  ran 
down  the  steps,  hurried  back  to  her  room,  and  threw 


High  School  and  College  Days  25 

herself  down  on  the  bed  and  cried  as  if  her  heart 
would  break.  She  felt  that  she  positively  could  never 
try  to  sell  another  book.  Finally  she  dried  her  tears 
and  said  to  herself,  "My!  my!  this  will  never  sell  my 
books  nor  put  me  through  school."  Then  she  took  a 
desperate  grip  on  herself,  and  went  to  her  task  again. 

The  last  summer  of  Vera's  canvassing,  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Burkett  were  living  at  York,  Nebraska, 
so  she  decided  to  go  and  make  her  sister's  home  her 
headquarters  while  she  canvassed  all  the  towns  in  that 
section.  But  canvassing  for  books  did  not  yield  as 
good  returns  in  Nebraska  as  it  had  in  Kansas,  and  the 
work  became  very  disheartening.  One  day  she  jest- 
ingly wrote  her  sister:  "I'm  so  glad  this  is  the  last 
summer.  If  I  had  it  to  do  over  again  I  beHeve  I  would 
get  married  or  do  something  else  desperate  rather  than 
canvass  any  more." 

And  yet  Vera's  college  friends  exclaim  in  amaze- 
ment, "Miss  Blinn  didn't  like  canvassing?  Why,  none 
of  us  ever  dreamed  she  didn't  like  it.  She  and  Rose 
Davis  w^ould  come  back  to  school  in  the  fall  and  talk 
over  their  experiences,  and  laugh  over  them  and  tell 
how  much  money  they  had  made,  till  we  supposed 
they  had  been  having  the  very  time  of  their  lives!" 

Deep  and  earnest  as  Miss  BHnn  was  in  her  religious 
life,  she  was  also  a  lively  factor  in  the  social  life  of 
the  school.  Her  enthusiasm  and  good  cheer  were  con- 
tagious. No  one  who  knew  her  could  ever  forget  her 
ringing  laugh.  She  could  give  or  take  a  joke  with 
equal  good  humor.  The  college  students  recall  yet 
that  day  after  a  storm  of  rain  and  sleet,  how  heartily 


26  High  School  and  College  Days 

she  laughed  at  the  students  and  teachers  when  their 
feet  suddenly  slid  from  under  them  and  left  them 
lying  in  very  undignified  heaps  on  the  icy  sidewalks. 
And  then,  right  in  the  midst  of  the  fun,  they  saw  her 
and  her  escort  precipitated  to  the  pavement  in  attitudes 
as  ridiculous  as  any  of  them,  and  turned  the  laugh  on 
her.  Professor  Alleman,  who  later  became  a  teacher 
in  Kansas  City  University,  will  never  forget  how  she 
used  to  invite  him  down  to  her  home  to  eat  pickles. 
She  knew  they  were  a  favorite  delicacy  with  him,  and 
he  did  not  get  them  at  his  boarding  place.  The 
zoology  class  members  recall  the  very  interesting  times 
they  had  together.  One  day  some  of  them  were  in 
the  laboratory  cutting  up  a  dog,  when  Vera  appeared 
at  the  door  and  was  so  horrified  at  their  cruelty  that 
she  could  not  be  induced  to  enter  the  room.  But  when 
she  found  that  a  similar  experience  would  be  a  neces- 
sary part  of  her  education,  she  braced  herself  to  it,  and 
a  few  days  later  they  came  upon  her  in  the  same 
laboratory  enthusiastically  engaged  in  dissecting  a  cat, 
and  pretended  to  be  shocked  at  her  "dreadful  blood- 
thirstiness." 

On  a  bright  spring  morning  when  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
girls  were  giving  a  breakfast,  the  cooks  in  the  base- 
ment had  plenty  of  work  to  keep  them  busy  so  long 
as  Vera  stood  outside  with  a  smiling  face,  waving  her 
pancake  turner  and  singing  out  to  each  passerby, 
"Pancakes,  pancakes,  nice  hot  pancakes,  for  you-u-u." 

The  Ides  of  May  was  the  time  when  the  students  of 
Campbell  College  had  their  annual  day  of  fun  and 
frolic  with  the  senior  class  of  that  year.     The  only 


CAMPBELL  COLLEGE 


High  School  and  College  Days  27 

hope  of  escape  for  the  seniors  was  in  eluding  them  if 
they  could.  The  wife  of  Professor  Morgan,  of  York 
College,  still  recalls  that  fateful  day  in  her  college  ex- 
perience when  she  had  hidden  away  the  whole  day,  ex- 
cept when  she  went  to  classes  under  guard.  But  in  the 
evening  she  remembered  that  she  was  due  at  an  im- 
portant committee  meeting  and  dashed  down  the  hall 
forgetting,  for  the  moment,  her  danger.  Suddenly  she 
found  herself  surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  girls  and 
being  whirled  wildly  round  in  Vera  Blinn's  arms  as 
she  laughed  and  sang  with  merry  enthusiasm,  "The 
Ides  of  May,  little  senior,  the  Ides  of  May."  Need- 
less to  say  that  the  year  Vera  was  a  senior  she  did 
not  escape  full  payment  for  all  the  fun  she  had  had 
with  others  at  the  Ides  of  May. 

Vera  was  not  popular  with  all  her  college  mates. 
When  she  won  in  a  contest,  as  she  usually  did,  her  un- 
bounded, child-Hke  joy  in  the  triumph  was  not  al- 
ways pleasing  to  her  opponents.  Her  intense  interest 
in  the  miscroscope  in  science  class  made  her  sometimes 
claim  too  much  time  from  the  patient  professor  to  the 
delay  or  annoyance  of  the  other  members  of  the 
class.  It  was  sometimes  hard  for  her  to  be  patient 
with  those  who  seemed  to  plod  along  too  slowly  with 
their  school  work,  and  then  again  she  would  give  hours 
of  her  own  precious  time  cramming  facts  into  the 
cranium  of  some  less  brilliant  student,  who  was  pre- 
paring for  a  dreaded  examination. 

Vera  was  always  an  aggressive  student,  but  her  en- 
thusiasm perhaps  reached  its  highest  point  as  leader  of 
one  of  the  literary  societies  of  the  college.     She  be- 


28  High  School  and  College  Days 

came  famous  for  ''rushing  the  girls" — getting  hold  of 
the  new  girls  that  came  to  school  and  rushing  them 
into  her  society  before  the  others  had  time  to  **get  a 
line  on  them."  There  were  four  literary  societies  in 
the  college :  the  Calliopeans  and  Athenians,  with  their 
rivals,  the  Websters  and  Philos.  Miss  Blinn  cham- 
pioned the  cause  of  the  Calliopeans,  while  Harlan 
Thomas,  later  a  missionai-y  to  Africa,  led  the  Websters. 
Rivalry  ran  high  among  these  societies,  and  Vera's  en- 
thusiasm for  her  own  was  unbounded.  It  seemed  a 
part  of  her  very  nature  to  fight  to  the  limit  for  her 
cause,  and  she  and  Mr.  Thomas  found  in  each  other 
formidable  antagonists.  To  one  who  knows  their 
friendship  in  later  years  and  their  keen  appreciation  of 
each  other's  work,  it  is  hard  to  believe  there  ever  was 
a  time  when  they  found  their  chief  delight  in  outwit- 
ting each  other. 

Through  her  years  of  training,  Vera's  talent  for  pub- 
lic speaking  found  much  opportunity  for  development. 
The  teacher  who  took  her  through  the  advanced 
course  of  elocution  and  oratory  at  Campbell  College 
says :  "Never  in  those  two  years  of  strenuous  drill 
and  memory  strain  did  I  hear  her  complain  when  she 
came  to  recitations  of  not  feeling  fit  to  take  her  les- 
son. She  certainly  subjected  the  physical  in  her 
life."  While  yet  a  high-school  student,  she  entered  a 
prohibition  contest  at  which  she  gave  an  oration  on 
"The  Fruits  of  Intemperance."  At  the  dedication  of 
the  new  high-school  building  at  Holton,  this  girl  of 
sixteen  delivered  the  senior  address.  She  was  an 
ardent    advocate    of    the    cause    of    temperance,    and 


High  School  and  College  Days  29 

though  young  she  used  every  opportunity  to  hurl  with 
all  the  force  of  her  being,  the  surest,  swiftest  arrows 
of  her  oratory  against  the  liquor  traffic.  At  a  contest 
held  in  Campbell  College,  she  gave  an  address  on  "The 
Right  to  Prohibit  Wrong,"  which  won  for  her  the  first 
prize  of  $20. 

She  was  a  "tiger"  at  debate.  Even  then  she  had  a 
wonderful  way  of  driving  home  her  ideas  and  clinch- 
ing them.  Once  she  debated  the  question  of  govern- 
ment ownership  of  the  railroads.  At  another  time  that 
of  woman's  suffrage,  in  which  she  championed  the 
cause  of  the  women.  "My,  but  I  can  see  her  yet !" 
says  a  fellow-student.  She  could  hardly  stop  talking, 
and  flung  out  her  last  arguments  as  she  backed  slowly 
to  her  seat.  In  this  debate  her  side  won  the  unanimous 
decision  of  the  judges. 

With  each  passing  year  Vera's  friends  could  see  in 
her  a  gradual  yielding  of  herself  to  her  enlarging 
spiritual  vision.  During  the  winter  of  1910,  she  and 
three  other  students  of  Campbell  College  were  sent  to 
Rochester,  New  York,  to  attend  the  great  Student 
Volunteer  Convention  of  North  America.  It  was  there 
the  missionary  fire  in  her  heart  burst  into  a  flame. 
From  that  time  her  life  was  moved  by  a  new  and 
strong  impulse.  She  heard  the  world  challenge,  and 
accepted  it  with  all  it  meant.  The  other  students  who 
went  were  Mrs.  Eva  Thuma  Wimmer,  Mr.  Harlan  H. 
Thomas,  and  Mr.  C.  P.  Southerland.  The  first  two 
became  missionaries  in  Africa  for  the  Church  of  the 
United  Brethren  in  Christ,  and  the  last  is  a  mission- 


30  High  School  and  College  Days 

ary  in  South  America.  Miss  Blinn  cherished,  to  the 
day  of  her  death,  the  hope  of  becoming  a  foreign  mis- 
sionary. 

Miss  Mary  B.  Martin  was  the  college  teacher  who 
chaperoned  these  young  people  on  the  trip  to  the 
Rochester  Convention.  She  says :  *'One  evening  at 
Rochester,  after  one  of  those  great  addresses,  while  in 
the  quiet  of  our  own  rooms.  Vera  said,  as  the  tears 
coursed  down  her  cheeks,  'How  I  should  like  to  go! 
but  I  can't,  for  mamma  needs  me  so.'  I  tried  to  com- 
fort her  by  telling  her  that  if  she  was  willing  to  go 
she  had  done  her  part,  and  that  perhaps  God  might 
have  a  greater  work  for  her  here.  She  was  all  broken 
up,  and  I  could  but  let  her  and  her  God  commune 
together."  One  of  her  companions  at  the  convention 
adds  that  Vera  was  so  overwhelmed  and  burdened  in 
spirit  that  for  one  whole  day  she  was  unable  to  go  to 
the  meetings,  and  spent  the  time  alone  in  her  room. 

On  the  return  of  these  four  students  to  Holton,  they 
held  meetings  in  their  own  town  and  many  of  the 
towns  and  villages  for  miles  around,  at  which  they 
gave  reports  of  the  convention  and  kindled  great  mis- 
sionary enthusiasm.  They  also  wrote  articles  for 
the  "Campbell  College  Charta."  An  extract  from 
Miss  Blinn's  pen  will  best  show  the  impression  the 
convention  made  on  her  life: 

"The  Watchword  of  the  Movement  was  'The 
Evangelization  of  the  World  in  this  Generation.' 
As  Ambassador  Bryce  told  us,  'The  task  challenges 
every  atom  of  your  power.  All  that  you  can  gain  of 
knowledge  and  thought  is  not  too  much  for  the  great 


High  School  and  College  Days  31 

task  that  lies  before  you.'  What  does  the  reahzation 
of  this  watchword  mean  to  the  students  of  America? 
How  is  the  evangehzation  of  the  world  to  be  ac- 
comphshed?  When  we  think  of  the  great  continent 
of  Africa  alone  with  its  millions  of  people — the  largest 
section  of  pagan  humanity  on  the  face  of  the  earth — 
we  realize  more  fully  the  truth  of  Mr.  Speer's  state- 
ment when,  in  telling  the  story  of  a  private  soldier 
rolling  off  the  deck  of  a  ship  and  giving  back  the  half- 
conscious  strangled  cry,  *Oh,  friend,  friend,'  he  said 
that  this  is  the  cry  not  of  a  private  soldier  but  the 
constant  pitiful  cry  of  millions  of  needy  humanity. 
Again  we  ask,  'How  is  our  great  mission  to  be  ful- 
filled?' The  only  answer  is  that  our  motto,  'The 
evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  generation,'  must 
be  adopted  as  a  personal  watchword.  Every  Christian 
must  realize  that  he  has  a  part  in  the  work  at  hand. 

"When  this  watchword  is  taken  personally,  it  en- 
riches and  widens  the  sympathies,  emancipates  a  man 
from  narrowness  and  selfishness,  baptizes  us  with  a 
sense  of  our  oneness  with  all  humanity,  stimulates 
and  exercises  faith,  promotes  a  life  of  reality,  lends 
intensity  to  the  life,  develops  the  spirit  of  vision,  and 
throws  us  back  heavily  on  the  supernatural,  for  if  the 
world  is  to  be  evangelized  in  this  generation  there 
must  be  a  strong  accession  of  divine  power. 

*Tt  is  essential  that  we  become  absorbed  with  the 
vision  of  the  unevangelized  world,  and  that  there  be 
also  a  vision  of  the  cross  of  Christ  as  we  behold  that 
scene  of  suffering  love. 


32  High  School  and  College  Days 

"John  R.  Mott,  the  great  leader  of  the  movement, 
impressed  upon  us  that  the  great  question  is  not 
whether  or  not  we  will  become  missionaries,  not  the 
relative  claims  of  the  home  and  foreign  fields,  but  the 
one  crucial,  all  important  question  is  whether  or  not 
we  will  yield  to  Jesus  Christ  his  rightful  place  as  Lord 
and  Master  of  our  lives." 

It  is  in  this  same  issue  of  the  "Charta"  that  Miss 
Blinn,  as  a  representative  of  the  Bible  Study  Com- 
mittee, urges  upon  the  girls  of  the  college  the  necessity 
of  forming  a  habit  of  daily  Bible  study  and  the 
observance  of  the  morning  watch. 

For  her  graduation  thesis,  Miss  Blinn  wrote  a 
masterful  literary  production  on  'The  Educational 
Value  of  the  Classics."  Thus  closed  those  years  of 
strenuous  high  school  and  college  work.  She  had 
learned  well  the  lesson,  which  she  afterward  expressed 
so  laconically  in  her  note  book,  "Hard  work  is  the 
price  of  a  full,  rich  life." 

Miss  Blinn's  teachers  and  fellow-students  agree  that 
her  success,  both  in  school  work  and  in  all  her  later 
life,  was  not  due  so  much  to  her  brilliancy  of  intellect 
as  to  her  willingness  to  do  a  prodigious  amount  of 
hard  work.  She  was  talented.  Who  would  not  have 
been  who  had  striven  so  hard  and  overcome  so  many 
obstacles  to  fit  himself  for  Hfe's  tasks?  Thomas  A. 
Edison  is  right  when  he  says  "Genius  is  ninety-five 
percent  hard  work." 


\i:kA    I'.LINN 
A   CRADrA'l  K  OF   (  AMIM'.KI.L  fOLI.EGE 


'A  teacher  must  be  ivhat  he  would  impart.' 


"The  dignity  of  the  vocation  of  a  teacher  is  beginning  to  be 
understood.  *  *  *  Skill  to  form  the  young  to  energy, 
truth,  and  virtue,  is  worth  more  than  the  knowledge  of  all 
other  arts  and  sciences.  *  *  *  The  encouragement  of  ex- 
cellent teachers  is  the  first  duty  which  a  community  owes  to 
itself.  *  *  *  The  whole  worth  of  a  school  lies  in  the 
teacher." 

William   Ellery    Channing 


CHAPTER  III 
A  YOUNG  TEACHER  IN  YORK  COLLEGE 

"There  is  a  Hre — 
And  motion  of  the  soul  which  zvill  not  dwell 
In  its  own  narrow  being,  but  aspire 
Beyotid  the  fitting  medium  of  desire; 
And  but  once  kindled,  quenchless  evermore. 
Preys  upon  high  adventure,  nor  can  tire 

Of  aught  but  rest." 

Ready  to  go  at  any  time  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  at  her 
Lord's  bidding,  Vera  BHnn  knew  that  God's  battle- 
fields are  also  right  where  you  are,  and  that  you  must 
conquer  and  win  today  or  you  will  never  be  fit  for  the 
fiercer  conflicts  of  tomorrow.  Every  talent  she  had, 
both  natural  and  acquired,  she  brought,  together  with 
all  her  fresh,  young,  vigorous  life,  and  laid  them 
down  in  full  and  glad  surrender  at  the  feet  of  Jesus 
Christ  for  Him  to  take  and  use  as  He  should  choose. 
And  now,  for  her  next  place  of  service,  God  had 
graciously  opened  the  way  in  "one  of  those  minor 
providences  that  seem  set  in  the  years  like  exquisite 
mosaics  of  His  mercy." 

In  the  summer  of  1909,  while  Vera  was  with  her 
sister  in  York,  Nebraska,  she  had  been  out  canvassing 
for  books  one  day  and  came  back  to  the  parsonage  a 


36  A  Young  Teacher  in  York  College 

happy,  bare-headed,  rosy-cheeked  girl  and  the  presi- 
dent of  York  College  was  there.  They  were  introduced 
and  chatted  together  awhile  of  books  and  school  work. 
He  noted  her  frankness  and  enthusiasm,  and  when  he 
went  away  he  did  not  forget  her. 

She  had  said  she  was  to  graduate  the  following 
year.  York  College  needed  some  good  teachers,  and  he 
believed  she  would  make  one.  He  knew  Professor 
W.  S.  Reese,  of  Campbell  College,  and  wrote  him  a 
letter  of  inquiry  as  ito  Vera's  fitness  for  the  place.  His 
reply  was  favorable  and  then  the  matter  was  taken  up 
directly  with  Vera,  who  consented  to  come. 

She  graduated  with  honors  from  Campbell  College 
in  the  spring  of  1910.  This  was  followed  by  a  sum- 
mer's work  in  post  graduate  studies  in  French  and 
German  at  the  University  of  Chicago,  where  she  made 
good  records  and  won  many  friends.  Thus  equipped, 
she  came  to  York  in  the  autumn  of  1910  to  take  her 
place  as  a  full  professor  in  the  college.  She  was 
twenty  years  old,  and  younger  by  ten  years  than  any 
other  teacher  on  the  staff.  At  first  there  were  some 
intimations  that  it  was  a  mistake  to  call  one  so  young 
for  such  a  responsible  position,  but  she  soon  proved 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  that  she  was  thorough  in 
scholarship,  wise  in  judgment,  and  consecrated  to  her 
work. 

Soon  after  her  arrival  in  York,  Miss  Blinn  was 
made  sponsor  for  the  senior  class  and  her  efforts  with 
them  helped  to  make  her  popular.  One  custom  that 
still  survives  in  the  college  dates  back  to  her  coming. 


A  Young  Teacher  in  York  College  Zl 

It  is  the  Senior  Recognition  Day.  The  first  class  to 
be  formally  recognized  was  the  one  of  1911,  whose 
program  she  had  largely  planned. 

She  entered  heartily  into  the  social  affairs  of  the 
young  people.  She  chaperoned  the  juniors,  and  was 
so  sympathetic  and  friendly  and  jolly  that  her  appear- 
ance among  them  was  always  hailed  with  delight. 
The  second  year  in  York  she  was  made  sponsor  for 
the  sophomores,  and  they  never  will  forget  how  she 
helped  them  to  carry  through  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful Hallowe'en  celebrations  of  their  college  days. 

What  hours  of  innocent  fun  they  had  together! 
She  loaded  them  all  into  a  big  wagon  and  took  them 
for  a  six-mile  drive  into  the  country  to  the  home  of 
a  farmer,  where  they  secured  a  generous  supply  of 
apples  and  pumpkins.  The  next  day  they  all  met  in  a 
barn,  armed  with  butcher  knives,  and  carved  a  fine 
regiment  of  jack-o-lanterns.  Another  evening  they 
went  to  the  home  of  some  friends  in  the  country, 
where  they  prepared  part  of  the  refreshments  for  the 
occasion  and  took  them  back  to  town  in  a  wheel- 
barrow. The  main  floor  of  the  conservatory  was 
secured  and  they  decorated  it  with  cornstalks,  autumn 
leaves  and  plenty  of  shining  jack-o-lanterns,  one  of 
the  largest  of  which  grinned  through  a  huge  spider 
web  that  had  been  stretched  across  one  corner  of  the 
room.  The  collegiate  department  and  faculty  were 
the  invited  guests  of  the  evening.  When  ready  to 
serve  the  refreshments,  Miss  Blinn  was  helping,  and 
as  she  started  to  open  a  bottle  of  cream,  she  made  a 
sudden  wrong  move  and  the  next  moment  her   face. 


38  A  Young  Teacher  in  York  College 

hair,  and  pretty  pink  dress  were  thoroughly  spattered 
with  cream.  There  was  consternation  for  a  moment, 
then  she  broke  into  a  laugh,  caught  up  a  towel,  mopped 
off  the  cream,  and  the  program  went  merrily  on. 

Those  who  knew  Miss  Blinn  say  that  she  was 
very  conscientious  as  a  teacher.  It  was  not  her  nature 
to  do  inferior  work  and  she  could  not  encourage  it  in 
others.  She  was  absolutely  fair  in  her  dealings  with 
the  students  and  gave  them  their  credits  without  fear 
or  favor.  If  any  student  of  her  classes  had  low  marks, 
he  knew  there  was  good  reason  for  it.  During  her 
two  years  in  the  college  she  was  never  accused  of 
giving  an  unfair  grade. 

She  was  quick  to  see  through  the  clever  devices 
whereby  delinquent  students  sometimes  "get  by"  in 
their  recitations,  and  was  adroit  in  dealing  with  them. 
At  one  time  she  suspected  that  some  of  her  pupils 
were  using  a  "pony"  to  aid  them  in  their  language 
lessons.  She  visited  the  library  and  found  she  was 
right — the  "pony"  was  not  there.  They  would  be 
taking  up  another  book  soon.  The  "pony"  for  it  was 
still  there — but  when  the  students  went  to  look  for 
it  some  days  later  they  found  it  missing.  She  had 
taken  care  to  provide  against  their  next  "day  of 
temptation." 

At  one  time  she  had  asked  a  class  to  bring  a  written 
treatise  on  a  certain  subject.  One  member  of  the 
class  was  a  brilliant  and  hard-working  young  man, 
later  a  professor  in  a  great  university,  who  had  not 
found  time  to  do  the  written  work,  but  held  in  his 
hand  several  sheets  of  paper  to  give  the  appearance 


A  Young  Teacher  in  York  College  39 

of  being  prepared.  When  she  called  on  him  to  recite 
he  put  on  a  brave  face  and  dashed  into  it,  pretending 
to  read,  but  really  making  it  all  up  as  he  went  along. 
She  permitted  him  to  go  on  to  the  very  close  and  then 

with  a  merry  laugh  said,  ''Well,  Mr.  ,  that  was 

wonderfully  well  done  for  an  entirely  extemporaneous 
effort."  The  class  was  much  amused  to  see  that  his 
trick  had  failed  to  deceive  her. 

Miss  Blinn's  work  as  a  teacher  was  heavy  and  exact- 
ing. The  college  then  had  an  enrollment  of  about  five 
hundred  students.  It  had  state  accreditment  and 
granted  state  certificates,  and  everything  had  to  be 
kept  at  the  very  highest  standard.  State  inspectors 
often  dropped  in,  sometimes  men,  sometimes  women, 
and  always  without  previous  announcement.  This 
young  teacher  was  soon  a  favorite  with  these  inspec- 
tors, and  they  spoke  in  high  appreciation  of  her  work. 

During  all  this  time  her  heart  power  was  keeping 
steady  pace  with  her  increasing  mental  strength.  Her 
Christian  influence  in  the  college  was  something 
unusual.  Herself  a  member  of  the  Student  Volun- 
teer Band,  "her  soul  aflame  with  love  for  her  Master 
and  with  an  unquenchable  zeal  for  His  cause,  she  was 
a  daily  evangel  for  the  Kingdom,  and  touched  with 
power  the  whole  student  body  and  the  college  church." 
It  did  not  take  others  long  to  discover  her  rare  abilities, 
and  her  influence  soon  reached  out  to  other  churches 
and  communities  whither  she  was  called  to  speak  in 
the  interests  of  Christian  work. 

With  her  constantly  increasing  outside  duties.  Miss 
Blinn  never  neglected  her  work  as  a  college  teacher. 


40  A  Young  TcacJier  in  York  College 

She  never  asked  for  off -time,  and  if  she  was  ever  sick 
no  one  in  the  school  knew  of  it.  She  was  punctual, 
attended  to  business,  and  graciously  fitted  into  her 
place.  "She  was  a  pleasant  person  to  work  with," 
said  the  college  president,  "always  considerate  of 
another's  viewpoint.  She  cooperated  cheerfully  in 
helping  to  bring  the  students  up  to  high  standards. 
When  others  said,  'It  can't  be  done,'  she  contended 
that  what  ought  to  be  done  could  be  done.  She  was 
also  good  at  'blowing  the  college  horn.'  When  I  had 
to  be  away,  I  often  asked  her  to  write  the  college  items 
for  the  city  paper,  and  to  these  she  gave  time  and 
efifort.  She  always  insisted  that  she  could  not  'write', 
but  she  could  and  did  exceptionally  well.  She  was 
so  willing  that  she  always  had  to  do  more  than  her 
share." 

"She  was  so  willing  that  she  always  had  to  do  more 
than  her  share,"  are  the  words  that  echo  and  re-echo 
through  our  hearts.  How  true  it  is  that  willing  hearts 
always  have  to  do  more  than  their  share  of  the  world's 
work,  and  how  cheerfully  and  uncomplainingly  they 
seem  to  do  it.  It  is  not  until  our  willingness  over- 
flows our  obligations  that  our  lives  become  really 
profitable  anywhere.  It  is  this  very  unselfish,  spon- 
taneous quality  of  life  that  characterizes  all  God's 
best  workers. 

"Within  sixteen  years  of  my  presidency  of  York 
College,"  continues  President  Schell,  "a  better  teacher 
than  Miss  Blinn  never  came  before  a  class.  She  had 
the  faculty  of  inspiring  the  students  to  do  their  best. 
They  found  zest  and  even  pleasure  in  their  work  as? 


VUkK     CULLE(, 


A  Young  Tcaclicr  in  York  College  41 

she  led  them  up  the  mount  of  knowledge.  The  Chris- 
tian teacher  performs  a  work,  the  far-reaching 
influence  of  which  can  be  recorded  only  by  angel 
hands  in  heaven.  Miss  Blinn  did  her  part  nobly  and 
well  in  this  role.  We  must  wait  for  eternity's  golden 
light  to  reveal  the  magnitude  of  her  splendid  service 
in  translating  Christian  education  into  the  lives  of  the 
many  young  people  who  sat  at  her  feet  as  learners 
and  with  whom  she  mingled  in  the  general  work  of 
those  college  years.  She  is,  and  will  be,  the  ideal  for 
a  multitude  of  young  people,  and  inspired  by  her 
beautiful  Christian  example  and  teaching,  they  will 
fill  out  nobler  careers  and  live  upon  more  exalted 
planes.  She  wrought  a  blessed  ministry  from  first 
to  last." 


7  heard  Him  call, 
'Come  follow*  that  was  all. 
*     *     * 
My  soul  went  after  Him: 
I  rose  and  follozved,  that  was  all; 
Who  would  not  follow  if  they  heard  His  call?' 


"If  one  could  assemble  the  girls  who  have  been  led  to  know 
Jesus  Christ  as  their  Lord  and  Savior  through  her  efforts, 
others  who  have  dedicated  themselves  for  definite  Christian 
service,  still  others  who  have  had  new  visions  of  Christ  and 
His  plan  for  the  world,  we  must  needs  call  them  from  the 
'uttermost  part.'  " 

Elsie    Hall 


CHAPTER  IV 

WIDENING  SPHERES  OF  SERVICES 

While  a  teacher  in  York  College,  Miss  Blinn  became 
secretary  of  the  young  women's  work  of  the  Nebraska 
Branch  of  the  Women's  Missionary  Association  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church.  It  was  through  her 
excellent  service  in  this  capacity  that  the  Church  came 
to  recognize  her  rare  gifts  of  mind  and  heart,  and  her 
ability  for  leadership.  At  the  general  Board  Meeting 
of  the  Women's  Missionary  Association,  held  in  May, 
1912,  at  Myerstown,  Pennsylvania,  she  was  elected 
general  secretary  of  the  young  women's  work,  with 
the  whole  Church  for  her  field. 

Called  to  serve  in  this  larger  sphere,  Miss  Blinn  felt 
herself  quite  unequal  to  the  responsibilities  it  involved. 
She  had  solemnly  dedicated  her  life  to  God  for 
mission  work.  Could  this  be  her  field  ?  In  perplexity 
of  spirit  she  spent  a  whole  night  in  prayer  for  God's 
guidance,  and  finally  decided  that  it  was  His  chosen 
place  for  her,  at  least  for  the  time  being.  A  few 
weeks  later  she  came  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  whole- 
heartedly took  up  her  work.  She  was  introduced  to 
the  Church  in  the  June  Evangel  (the  organ  of  the 
Women's  Missionary  Association),  and  sent  out  her 


44  Widening  Spheres  of  Service 

first  message  to  the  girls  of  the  Church  in  the  July- 
August  number.  Her  attitude  toward  her  new  task 
may  best  be  expressed  in  her  own  words. 

"Dear  Girls:  I  hope  that  at  the  very  outset  you 
will  feel  that  you  know  me  and  I  know  you,  because 
we  know  a  common  Father  and  are  interested  in 
a  common  cause.  A  number  of  times  in  my  life  I  have 
been  permitted  to  see  large  companies  of  girls 
gathered  together,  and  invariably  there  has  come  to  me 
with  extraordinary  force  the  thought,  'What  wonder- 
ful possibilities  are  wrapped  up  in  these  girls !'  And 
today,  as  in  my  mind  I  see  the  faces  of  hundreds  of 
bright,  happy,  enthusiastic,  loving  girls  of  our  own 
Church,  I  think  of  what  great  plans  the  Master  has 
for  each  life,  and  how  proud  we  should  be,  that,  even 
as  girls,  we  can  have  a  part  in  the  extension  of  His 
Kingdom.  And,  girls,  my  vision  widens,  and  back  of 
you  all,  in  the  distance,  I  see  faces  of  girls  who  are 
less  happy  and  less  bright,  but  none  the  less  lovable. 
'These,  too,  must  ye  bring.'  For  the  coming  year 
may  we  not  be  bound  together  by  a  circle  of  prayer 
that  shall  encircle  the  world  ?" 

Miss  Blinn  had  a  right  appreciation  of  the  power  of 
prayer.  Among  the  first  things  she  did  after  taking 
up  her  work  was  to  urge  the  people  of  the  Church 
to  their  knees  for  the  full  surrender  of  their  lives  to 
Christ  for  service.  Her  spirit  was  moved  as  she  found 
multitudes  of  women  and  girls  all  over  the  Church 
who  were  yet  unenlisted  in  the  work  of  missions. 
"Ours  is  the  power  to  pray  them  out,"  she  said. 
Everywhere  she  went  she  pressed  home  the  truth  that 


Widening  Spheres  of  Service  45 

it  is  only  our  own  lack  of  faith  and  half-hearted  con- 
secration, our  own  coldness,  that  keeps  back  Christ's 
redemption  from  a  lost  world.  Pray!  Unceasingly 
pray!  was  her  message.  Pray  in  earnestness  for  the 
extraordinary,  the  limitless,  the  glorious.  Pray  with 
real  confidence  for  blessings,  the  realization  of  which 
you  cannot  imagine  a  way — for  we  believe  in  an 
infinite  Father.  Things  are  changing  as  you  pray. 
Christ's  expectation  will  be  realized  the  sooner.  "He 
shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied." 
The  power  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  is  being  released 
anew  upon  the  world.  It  was  with  such  daring  faith 
as  this  that  Miss  Blinn  challenged  the  Church  from  the 
very  beginning  of  her  public  work. 

From  early  childhood  the  missionary  fire  had  been 
burning  in  Miss  Blinn's  heart.  The  first  missionary 
book  that  ever  came  to  her  hands  left  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  her  life.  She  was  nine  years  old  when  her 
father  bought  Bishop  Mills'  book  on  "Our  Work  in 
Africa,"  the  year  following  the  massacre  of  our 
missionaries.  She  read  that  book  until  she  knew  it  al- 
most by  heart.  The  first  missionary  she  ever  heard  was 
Mrs.  H.  K.  Shumaker.  When  she  heard  her,  she  deter- 
mined that  some  day  she  would  go  to  China.  The 
Evangel  was  always  in  her  home,  a  constant  influence. 
The  IVatcJnvord  was  sent  to  her  for  a  year  as  a  gift 
from  her  father  on  her  eighth  birthday,  and  she  read 
it  ever  afterward. 

The  influence  of  missionary  literature  upon  Miss 
Blinn's  own  life  led  her  to  see  quickly  its  value  in 
her  work  with  the  girls.     In  the  October  number  of 


46  IVideyiing  Spheres  of  Serine e 

the  Evangel  she  had  an  article  entitled,  ''Is  Missionary 
Literature  Interesting  for  Girls?"  the  fascinating 
appeal  of  which  could  scarcely  be  resisted  by  any 
normal  girl.  She  recommended  some  of  those  books 
and  papers  that  had  meant  so  much  to  her:  "The 
Life  of  David  Livingstone,"  "Life  of  Alice  Jackson 
and  Mary  Agnew,"  "The  Mother  of  a  Thousand 
Daughters,"  ''China's  New  Day,"  "The  Chinese 
Revolution,"  "Mormonism,  the  Islam  of  America," 
"Missionary  Review  of  the  World,"  and  the 
"Evangel."  Then  she  went  on  to  say:  "What  is 
mission  study?  Nothing  less  than  a  voyage  of  dis- 
covery into  the  realm  of  human  life.  There  is  nothing 
so  interesting  to  humanity  as  humanity  itself.  What 
we  call  dry,  dead  missionary  literature  is  quivering 
and  throbbing  with  life.  It  lifts  us  out  of  ourselves 
as  individuals  and  makes  us  a  part  of  the  great  world. 
It  gives  us  a  vision  of  a  deeper  life,  a  vision  of  a 
needy  world,  a  vision  of  Jesus  Christ  himself.  It 
deepens  our  prayer  life.  It  gives  a  larger  Christ,  a 
larger  gospel  and  brings  to  us  abundant  life." 

During  her  first  year  as  secretary  of  the  young 
women's  work,  Miss  Blinn  studied  conditions  among 
the  girls  and  women  of  the  Church  and  sought  means 
for  improving  them.  She  attended  a  summer  con- 
ference of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
at  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  and  later  an  interdenomi- 
national conference  of  student  secretaries  with  the 
National  Board  of  this  association  in  New  York  City. 
From  the  latter  she  came  away  with  these  words 
huming  into  her  heart :     "The  greatest  work  to  which 


Widening  Spheres  of  Service  47 

a  human  soul  may  address  itself  is  to  seek  to  know 
the  purpose  of  Jesus  Christ  in  coming  into  the  world, 
and  to  set  about  the  work  of  fulfilling  that  purpose." 
In  both  these  conferences  she  had  been  led  to  see  the 
greater  possibilities  of  her  department.  At  the  end  of 
the  year,  when  she  brought  her  report  to  the  Women's 
Board  Meeting,  held  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  in 
May,  1913,  she  recommended  that  the  young  women's 
work  be  organized  under  the  name  of  the  "Otterbein 
Guild"  with  this  covenant : 

"Grateful  that  *I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,' 

"Mindful  that  vast  millions  of  women  and  girls  can 
never  hear  the  'tidings  of  great  joy'  unless  a  Christian 
woman  be  sent  to  them, 

"Remembering  that  Jesus  made  loving  obedience 
the  supreme  test  of  discipleship,  and  that  His  last, 
most  solemn  command  was  'Go  teach  all  nations,' 

"I  gladly  enter  into  this  covenant  of  obedience,  that 
I  will  not  cease  to  make  offerings  of  prayer,  time 
and  money  to  the  end  that  the  daughters  of  sorrow 
in  all  lands  may  know  the  love  of  Jesus." 

She  also  recommended  plans  for  the  enlargement  of 
the  work,  for  relating  it  definitely  to  the  mission 
boards,  and  for  closer  cooperation  beween  it  and  the 
student  department  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association ;  also  that  representatives  be  sent  to 
student  conferences,  and  that  adequate  missionary 
literature  be  provided  that  would  be  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  students. 

She  closed  her  splendid  report  to  the  board  meet- 
ing  with    this    challenge :     "We    have    not    even    yet 


48  Widening  Spheres  of  Service 

touched  the  hem  of  the  possibiHties  of  the  department. 
My  heart  throbs  with  gratitude  to  God  for  His  great 
blessing  upon  the  work,  and  the  tremendous  need 
for  more  work  makes  me  restless.  The  power  for  the 
great  task  given  to  our  young  women,  the  power  to 
meet  the  challenge  that  comes  at  this  great  moment, 
will  not  be  found  in  our  organizations,  nor  in  our 
members,  nor  in  our  money,  but  the  power  that  shall  be 
adequate  can  be  found  only  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  laid  down  His  life  even  to  the  cross ;  and  it  will 
call  for  no  less  in  our  own  lives,  for  'greater  works 
than  these  shall  ye  do.'  "  This  report  and  all  these 
recommendations  were  adopted. 

Miss  Blinn's  many-sided  task  now  consumed  her 
whole  time  and  strength.  She  traveled  all  over  the 
Church,  giving  missionary  addresses,  organizing  local 
missionary  societies  and  Otterbein  Guild  Chapters, 
holding  institutes,  introducing  missionary  books,  and 
holding  classes  for  mission  study.  She  engaged  the 
girls  and  women  in  systematic  Bible  study,  wTote 
articles  for  the  Evangel  and  other  papers,  kept  up  a 
large  correspondence  with  representatives  of  the 
work,  and  often  filled  the  pulpits  for  pastors  on  Sun- 
days. She  frequently  visited  the  colleges  of  the 
Church,  bringing  the  power  of  her  glowing  personality 
to  bear  upon  the  students,  interesting  them  in  missions, 
and  leading  them  to  larger  visions  of  life.  In  the  year 
of  1913,  she  visited  the  annual  conference  in  West 
Virginia.  There  were  only  a  few  organized  mission- 
ary societies  in  the  State  at  that  time.  She  was  very 
kindly  welcomed  at  the  conference,  given  two  periods 


Widening  Spheres  of  Service  49 

on  the  program,  and  before  the  close  of  the  session 
had  made  engagements  with  twenty-six  different 
pastors,  whose  fields  she  visited  a  little  later  and 
organized  eleven  local  missionary  societies  and  eleven 
Otterbein  Guild  Chapters.  She  always  had  a  warm 
place  for  West  Virginia  in  her  heart,  and  called  the 
branch  in  that  conference  her  "child." 

In  a  wonderful  extract  from  the  Missionary  Review 
of  the  World,  Miss  Blinn  sounded  the  note  of  self- 
sacrifice  which  she  believed  essential  to  effective  mis- 
sionary service.  "What  is  the  real  heart  of  the 
missionary  problem?"  she  asks.  ''It  it  a  problem  of 
men,  or  of  money,  or  one  of  prayer?  It  includes  each 
of  these  phases,  but  it  is  deeper  than  any  or  all  of 
them.  If  we  press  past  all  secondary  considerations 
right  home  to  the  real  heart  of  the  missionary  problem, 
we  shall  find  that  it  is  a  problem  of  love — personal 
love  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Why?  Because  the 
very  soul  of  missions  is  sacrifice,  and  nothing  less 
and  nothing  else  than  divine  love  can  call  forth  the 
sacrifice  that  is  needed. 

"Those  words,  'He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot 
save,'  flung  derisively  at  Jesus  as  he  hung  upon  the 
cross,  were,  nevertheless,  the  expression  of  a  pro- 
found truth.  Had  the  Lamb  of  God,  in  retaliation  for 
that  mocking  cry,  come  down  from  the  cross,  our 
salvation  would  not  have  been  an  accomplished  fact. 
He  has  saved  us,  but  it  cost  Him  His  own  life  blood 
to  do  it. 

"There  is  need  today  to  re-emphasize  this  principle 
of  sacrifice  in  missions  as  one  that   is   fundamental, 


50  Widening  Spheres  of  Service 

essential,  vital.  God  laid  the  foundation  of  this  work 
of  world  redemption  in  sacrifice  when  it  cost  Him 
His  only  begotten  Son,  and  He  will  finish  it  in  no  less 
worthy  spirit  or  costly  means." 

Miss  Blinn  always  cultivated  an  optimistic  disposi- 
tion. She  had  a  definition  of  an  optimist  that  she 
particularly  liked — a  person  who  makes  lemonade  at 
night  from  the  ''lemons"  that  have  been  handed  to  him 
during  the  day.  She  was  in  a  marked  degree  free 
from  personal  sensitiveness  but  was  keenly  sensitive 
to  anything  that  affected  the  Church  or  the  cause  of 
Christ. 

She  believed  that  "Christians  ought  to  be  militant, 
not  merely  manicuring  their  morals."  She  herself 
was  decidedly  aggressive  in  her  methods,  yet  she  used 
such  charming  tact  that  she  opened  the  way  for  herself 
to  bring  messages  and  to  organize  missionary 
societies  in  churches  that  had  never  before  taken  any 
active  interest  in  missionary  work.  At  one  country 
charge,  where  she  gave  an  address  and  wished  to  efifect 
a  missionary  organization,  the  women  told  her  there 
was  no  use,  for  they  had  no  way  to  come  to  the 
meetings ;  their  husbands  were  busy  with  the  horses 
and  there  was  nobody  to  bring  them.  With  her 
quick  wit  she  at  once  turned  upon  the  men,  and  asked 
"If  we  form  a  missionary  society,  how  many  of  you 
men  will  see  that  a  way  is  provided  for  your  wives 
to  come  to  missionary  meetings?"  They  promptly 
capitulated  and  promised,  almost  to  a  man.  She  had 
carried  the  day.     The  society  was  organized. 


IVideiiing  Spheres  of  Service  51 

Everywhere  Miss  Blinn  travelled  she  roused  the 
people  to  the  missionary  task,  and  made  many  friends 
among  those  of  ''like  precious  faith."  She  served 
the  Church  and  the  Women's  Missionary  Association 
with  unabating  zeal,  with  an  utter  disregard  of  all 
physical  needs  and  all  personal  desire.  It  was  a  joke 
among  her  friends  that  she  would  rather  give  a  mis- 
sionary address  than  eat  her  dinner.  She  was  never 
happier  than  when  burning  into  the  hearts  of  others 
the  convictions  that  had  been  so  deeply  branded  on 
her  own. 

She  was  intense  and  forceful  as  a  speaker.  Her 
great  ambition  was  to  carry  a  living  message  straight 
into  the  living  hearts  of  the  world,  and  she  did  it. 
She  had  not  been  long  in  the  field  till  her  influence 
had  clear  overleaped  the  bounds  of  the  Otterbein 
Guild  work,  and  was  moving  upon  the  lives  of 
thousands  of  men  and  women  and  young  people 
throughout  the  Church  wherever  they  had  heard  her 
rousing  appeals.  And  yet  she  always  felt  herself  so 
weak,  so  insufficient  for  her  great  task,  that  often 
when  her  addresses  were  over  she  suffered  almost 
to  the  point  of  despondency  lest  she  had  failed  to  do 
her  very  best.  Her  friends  sometimes  heard  her 
exclaim,  "Oh,  I  feel  like  saying  I  shall  never  give 
another  public  address !"  And  yet  they  all  knew  that, 
when  her  distress  had  abated,  she  would  seize  with 
eagerness  the  very  next  opportunity  of  this  kind  that 
came  to  her. 

Early  in  January,  1914,  Miss  Blinn  attended  the 
Student  Volunteer  Convention  held   in   Kansas   City, 


52  Widening  SpJieres  of  Service 

Missouri,  Here  she  claims  to  have  received  a  new 
and  enlarged  vision  of  Christ,  and  expressed  the  hope 
that  He  would  become  so  incarnated  in  her  life  as  to 
result  in  more  efficient  service.  How  deeply  this 
occasion  wrought  upon  her  heart  may  be  judged  from 
a  message  she  wrote  soon  afterwards : 

"We  saw  how  the  crucified  Christ,  the  loving  Christ, 
the  risen  Christ  calls  us  all  into  the  fellowship  of  His 
own  sufferings.  And  as  we  saw  that  new  image  of 
our  loving  Lord  and  Savior  how  we  cried  out  with 
David  Livingstone,  'O  divine  Love,  I  have  not  loved 
Thee  deeply,  fully,  warmly,  nor  strongly  enough!' 
How  we  prayed  with  one  of  old,  'O  God,  for  Jesus 
Christ's  sake  give  me  Thy  Holy  Spirit!'  How  we 
yearned  to  have  our  will  submerged  in  His  own  !  How 
we  pleaded  that  the  tender,  compassionate,  loving, 
suffering  Christ  might  be  lifted  up  in  our  lives,  because 
if  He  is  Hfted  up  He  will  draw  men  unto  Him !  Surely 
*the  poison  of  a  selfish  will  obscures  the  Hght  of  God !' 
And  how  truly  'He  that  loves  not  lives  not!'  Not- 
withstanding the  deep,  abysmal  need  of  the  world, 
with  its  miUions  of  waiting,  hungry  hearts,  we  felt 
that  the  supreme  need  is  the  need  of  unredeemed 
personal  wills.  With  the  convention  quartet  the  song 
and  prayer  of  our  hearts  was,  'O  wash  me  now,  with- 
out, within — or  purge  with  fire  if  that  must  be — no 
matter  how — if  only  sin  die  out  in  me."  When  sin  has 
died  out,  when  the  Cross  has  really  touched  us,  there 
will  come  a  passionate  surrender  to  the  will  of  God, 
an  eagerness  to  suffer  with  Christ  and  to  bear  in  our 


Widening  SpJiercs  of  Service  53 

lives  the  scar-marks  of  Jesus,  which  are  the  sole  test 
of  our  faithfulness  and  discipleship. 

"These  then  are  the  questions  for  Christians  to 
face:  Can  we  say  that  we  bear  in  our  bodies  the 
marks,  the  scars  of  the  Lord  Jesus?  Have  others 
seen  in  our  lives  the  print  of  the  nails?  Is  there  on 
our  gift  the  print  of  the  nails? 

"  'As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.' 
We  are  sent  to  be  His  messengers  in  the  saine  spirit 
in  which  Christ  was  His  messenger — the  same  spirit 
of  love,  the  same  spirit  of  sacrifice — and  this  is 
possible  only  when  Christ  is  made  incarnate  in  our 
lives.  The  power  of  sacrifice,  the  power  which  alone 
is  in  the  life  that  bears  the  nail  prints,  this  power 
which  is  the  greatest  unwielded  power  of  missions. 
can  and  will  be  ours  when  the  love  of  Christ  is  ours. 
If  that  divine  love  really  grips  us,  it  will  constrain 
us  and  take  us  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Yea,  'nothing 
have  I  done  but  everything  will  I  do  for  Thee,  who 
died  for  me.'  " 

Miss  Blinn  felt  that  one  of  the  greatest  privileges 
that  ever  came  to  her  life  was  that  of  hearing  Dan 
Crawford,  the  great  Scotch  missionary  and  author  of 
"Thinking  Black,"  and  she  often  spoke  of  the  won- 
derful message  he  gave.  He  told  his  audience  that  he 
had  not  come  to  give  them  pleasure,  but  to  knock  them 
down  with  the  facts  of  their  neglect,  to  put  a  revolver 
to  their  ear  as  it  were,  and  make  them  take  notice  of 
their  duty.  He  said  that  Christianity  meant  more 
than  getting  up  and  saying  "Let's  sing  hymn  number 
65."  For  twenty-three  years  he  had  worked  in  Africa. 


54  PVidc)ii)ig  SpJieres  of  Service 

but  he  declared  he  would  rather  zvork  twenty-three 
years  than  talk  about  it  twenty  minutes.  Then  he  re- 
lated the  story  of  his  life.  How,  when  a  Scotch 
laddie  living  not  far  from  Livingstone's  old  home, 
he  heard  his  parents  tell  of  the  man  whose  heart  lay 
buried  in  Africa,  and  resolved  to  "follow  in  his  train." 
He  heard  that  Livingstone  had  said  Central  Africa 
was  nearer  the  bottomless  pit  than  any  other  point  on 
the  globe,  and  he  determined  in  his  heart  to  take  the 
flag  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead  hero,  Livingstone, 
and  plant  it  on  those  battlements  of  hell.  He  told 
many  of  his  experiences  amid  the  tall  grass  of  Cen- 
tral Africa,  where  he  had  stayed  twenty-three  years 
without  a  furlough ;  of  how  he  had  tried  to  literally 
"think  black"  with  the  people  and  how  he  had  volun- 
tarily become  a  slave  to  Chief  Mushidi  in  his  efforts 
to  study  the  black  man  and  be  able  to  get  his  view- 
point of  things.  Then  he  told  of  his  marriage,  after 
ten  years  of  missionary  life,  to  the  dear  Scotch  lassie 
who  had  braved  the  long  journey  to  him  alone;  then 
later  came  the  burial  of  their  first-born.  He  said  the 
natives  had  called  him  the  "White  Angel,"  and  said, 
"What  a  wonderful  Jesus  Christ  He  must  be  to  have 
such  white  angels !"  When  he  returned  to  his  old 
home  at  Greenock-on-the-Clyde,  he  climbed  the  hill, 
rushed  into  the  house,  buried  his  face  in  the  lap  of 
his  old  mother  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  twenty- 
three  years,  and  they  sat  thus  for  two  hours,  his 
mother  stroking  his  hair  and  neither  speaking  a 
word.     And  Dan  Crawford  said  he  was  going  back  to 


Widening  Spheres  of  Service  55 

Africa  to  finish  his  course  there;  back  to  his  great 
task,  his  assurance  for  success  expressed  in  the  words 
written  on  the  fly-leaf  of  his  Bible : 

'7  cannot  do  it  alone. 

The  waves  run  fast  and  high, 
The  fogs  close  chill  around, 

And  the  light  goes  out  in  the  sky; 
But  I  know  that  we  two 

Shall  win  in  the  end, 
Jesus  and  I. 

''Coward  and  wayzvard  and  weak, 
I  change  zvith  the  changing  sky, 

Today  so  safe  and  brave, 
Tomorrow  too  iveak  to  try; 

But  He  never  gives  in. 

And  I  knozv  that  zue  two  shall  win, 

Jesus  and  I." 

If  it  had  been  possible  to  make  a  deeper  impression 
for  missions  on  Miss  Blinn's  life  than  had  already 
been  made,  Dan  Crawford  is  the  man  who  could  have 
done  it.  After  hearing  him  she  decided  she  would  as 
soon  go  to  Africa  as  China. 

During  the  winter  of  1914-1915,  Miss  Blinn's 
health  became  impaired,  and  she  was  obliged  to  un- 
dergo an  operation  in  a  hospital  at  Omaha,  Nebraska. 
Just  before  she  left  for  Omaha,  her  pastor  came  to 
read  the  Bible  and  pray  with  her.  "What  chapter 
would  you  like  to  have  me  read?"  he  asked.     **The 


56  IVideuiiig  SpJiercs  of  Service 

ninety-first  Psalm,"  she  quickly  replied.  Some  days 
later  while  convalescing  at  the  hospital,  she  wrote  in 
one  of  the  first  letters  she  was  able  to  send  to  her 
friends,  "When  they  gave  me  the  anesthetic,  I  went  to 
sleep  repeating  the  ninety-first  Psalm." 

As  soon  as  health  would  permit  she  took  up  her 
work  again,  and  when  the  board  meeting  was  held  the 
following  May  she  was  there  planning  with  others  for 
the  forwarding  of  the  work  that  now  held  the  central 
place  in  her  heart  and  life.  Once  again  she  pleaded 
with  the  women  for  the  development  of  their  un- 
touched resources  in  Christ.  She  told  a  story  of  a 
Chinese  missionary  who  once  saw  an  old  woman 
sitting  on  the  bare  ground  on  a  cold  winter  day,  feel- 
ing about  her,  if  by  chance  she  might  find  a  few  weeds 
or  cornstalks  to  light  a  fire  under  her  brick  bed  and 
to  cook  herself  a  morsel  of  bread,  all  unmindful  of 
the  fact  that  just  beneath  her  was  a  great  undeveloped 
coal  mine.  "I  should  like  to  sound  out  the  call,"  said 
Miss  Blinn,  ''to  the  women  of  our  Church  to  speedily 
discover  and  develop  and  appropriate  to  themselves 
for  their  task  this  great  untouched  coal  mine:  Pray 
ye  therefore." 

During  the  three  years  of  Miss  BHnn's  work  as 
secretary  of  the  Otterbein  Guild  the  membership  of 
that  department  grew  from  4058  to  6848,  and  their 
total  gifts  to  missions  from  $4629  to  $10,417.  But 
how  can  mere  statistics  give  us  any  adequate  measure 
of  her  work?  She  wrought  with  dynamics — the 
dynamics  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God. 


In  a  factory  building  there  are  wheels  and  gearings; 

There  are  cranks  and  pulleys,  beltings  tight  or  slack; 
Some  are  whirling  swiftly,  some  are  turning  slozvly; 

Some  are  thrusting  forward,  some  are  pulling  back; 
Some  are  smooth  and  silent,  some  are  rough  and  noisy, 

Pounding,  rattling,  clanking,  moving  with  a  jerk; 
In  a  wild  confusion,  in  a  seeming  chaos, 

Lifting,  pushing,  driving — but  they  do  their  work. 
From  the  mightiest  lever  to  the  tiniest  pinion 

All  things  move  together  for  the  purpose  planned; 
And  behind  the  working  is  a  mind  controlling, 

And  a  force  directing,  and  a  guiding  hand. 

So  all  things  are  working  for  the  Lord's  beloved; 

Some  things  might  be  hurtful  if  alone  they  stood. 
Some  might  seem  to  hinder;  some  might  draw  us  backward; 

But  they  zvork  together,  and  they  work  for  good, — 
All  the  thwarted  longings,  all  the  stern  denials. 

All  the  contradictions,  hard  to  understand. 
And  the  force  thai  holds  them,  speeds  them,  and  retards  them, 

Stops  and  starts  and  guides  them,  is  our  Father  s  hand. 

Annie    Johnson     Flint 


CHAPTER  V 

A  HIGH  SCHOOL  TEACHER 

"Dear  Girls  of  Mine,  I  scarcely  know  how  to  begin 
this  letter.  By  the  time  you  read  these  words  you 
probably  will  have  known  that  I  have  resigned  my 
position  as  your  secretary  of  Otterbein  Guild.  You 
can  never,  never  know  what  it  cost  me  to  do  this,  but 
I  did  it  because  I  felt  it  necessary  on  account  of  my 
health  and  other  uncontrollable  circumstances  that  I 
cannot  explain  here,  and  I  beUeve  it  is  God's  will  for 
my  life  just  now.  But  I  want  you  to  know  that 
although  my  official  relation  is  discontinued,  my  heart 
is  with  you  and  with  the  work  that  we  mutually  love 
and  for  which  we  have  labored  together. 

"The  richest  experiences  of  my  life  have  come  to 
me  during  these  three  years  of  our  blessed  fellowship 
together.  I  have  known  nothing  in  the  work  but 
pure,  unadulterated  joy.  I  have  made  many,  many 
choice  friends.  How  I  love  you  every  one,  dear 
women  and  girls  of  the  Association,  as  I  have  met 
you  in  your  homes,  churches,  and  conventions !  I  feel 
as  if  a  part  of  my  life  had  been  taken  away.  Won't 
you  please  read  Philippians  1:3-11  as  my  personal 
message  to  each  of  you. 

"Always  yours  faithfully  and  lovingly." 


60  A  High  School  Teacher 

This  was  the  farewell  message  that  faced  the 
readers  of  tlie  Evangel  for  October,  1915.  A  baffling 
combination  of  affairs  had  come  into  Miss  Blinn's  life 
which  led  her  to  feel  quite  sure  that  it  was  her  duty  to 
resign  her  work  with  the  Women's  Missionary 
Association  and  go  home  to  her  mother  in  York, 
Nebraska,  and  take  up  teaching. 

When  the  last  tie  was  broken  and  she  had  started 
homeward,  there  came  to  her  an  almost  overwhelming 
sense  of  what  it  all  meant — 'this  step  she  was  taking. 
"Have  I  put  my  hand  to  the  Gospel  plow  and  am 
now  looking  back?"  was  the  question  that  kept  forc- 
ing itself  upon  the  mind  of  this  conscientious  girl. 
When  finally  she  drove  up  to  the  door  of  her  home  in 
York,  her  mother  came  out  to  welcome  her.  "Oh, 
mamma,  I've  made  a  mistake,"  were  almost  the  first 
words  she  said.  With  lagging  footsteps,  she  entered 
the  house  and  threw  herself  across  the  bed  and  wept 
till  the  pillow  was  wet  with  tears.  A  few  days  later 
York  high  school  opened  and  she  was  there  as  one  of 
the  teachers,  and  nobody  guessed  that  she  was  already 
homesick  for  her  old  place  in  the  heart  of  the  Church 
that  loved  her. 

Here  in  the  high  school,  as  everywhere  else,  Miss 
Blinn's  glowing  personality  constituted  her  a  natural 
leader.  From  the  time  her  merry  ha!  ha!  first  went 
ringing  through  the  halls,  she  rapidly  grew  in  favor 
with  the  young  folks.  The  remarkable  thing  was 
that  with  all  this  buoyancy  and  free  nature  of  hers 
she  never  had  a  bit  of  difficulty  in  holding  that  place 


A  High  School  Teacher  61 

of  respect  among  the  students  which  is  requisite  to  a 
teacher  of  influence.  Discipline  was  no  problem  with 
her.  All  her  work  was  done  in  such  a  constructive 
way  that  there  was  no  time  for  mischief  during 
school  hours.  Not  a  pupil  in  her  classes  could  be 
jollier  than  herself.  If  they  wanted  to  have  a  good 
time,  she  would  gladly  share  it  with  them  at  a  fitting 
time  and  place.  She  took  interest  in  their  student 
social  affairs  or  in  anything  that  called  for  merriment 
or  adventure.  As  guardian  of  the  Camp  Fire  Girls, 
she  took  them  camping  and  was  always  a  girl  with 
them.  She  delighted  to  help  them  cook  savory  suppers 
over  bonfires  and  to  play  cheerful  games.  When  a 
bunch  of  girls  came  together  at  any  time,  they  usually 
wanted  to  go  and  call  on  Miss  Blinn.  She  always 
seemed  to  have  time  for  them,  and  she  exerted  an  un- 
mistakably strong  influence  over  them.  One  of  their 
most  exciting  experiences  was  when  they  tried  to  run 
a  "Ford"  by  themselves  and  upset  into  the  ditch. 
Nobody  was  hurt,  though  all  were  a  little  frightened. 
Miss  Blinn's  religion  did  not  mean  restraint  to  her, 
but  freedom  and  enlargement.  It  was  "of  that  cheer- 
ful and  inspiring  type  that  commended  the  Christian 
faith  in  winsome  ways  to  those  who  came  within  her 
influence."  Even  in  her  merriest  hours  all  of  her 
pupils  knew  that  her  greatest  desire  was  to  draw  them 
nearer  to  the  Cross  of  Christ;  that  her  great  heart- 
prayer  was  summed  up  in  those  favorite  lines  of  hers: 

"Shine  through  my  life  that  every  friend  of  mine 
Shall  find  it  easier  to  be  a  friend  of  Thine." 


62  A  High  School  Teacher 

One  of  Miss  Blinn's  strong  qualities  as  a  teacher 
was  that  she  was  able  to  give  her  pupils  proper  per- 
spective for  their  whole  school  life.  She  could  talk 
with  genuine  enthusiasm  of  the  books  they  would  be 
studying  farther  on,  and  of  the  wonderfully  interest- 
ing and  valuable  things  they  would  learn.  This 
naturally  created  in  them  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  and 
helped  to  lay  a  foundation  for  their  whole  future 
education.  She  also  gave  them  well-balanced  and 
wholesome  ideas  regarding  the  use  of  their  leisure 
hours.  She  was  sponsor  for  the  freshman  class  both 
years  she  spent  in  high  school.  She  trained  the  juniors 
for  their  annual  entertainments,  and  strove  to  make 
each  program  such  as  would  have  real  educational 
value.  Her  influence  was  most  salutary  in  helping  to 
conquer  the  undesirable  features  of  entertainment  that 
are  prone  to  creep  into  modern  high  school  life. 

While  holding  in  check  all  that  was  corrupting  or 
debasing  to  her  pupils,  this  young  teacher  tried  to  put 
all  that  was  truest  and  sweetest  and  sunniest  and 
strongest  into  their  lives.  The  superintendent  of  the 
York  city  schools  has  said  that  in  character  building 
among  her  pupils.  Miss  Blinn  had  no  superior  among 
the  forty-five  teachers  under  his  charge.  He  also 
added  that  she  was  a  notable  example  of  a  brilliant 
intellect  and  a  devout  spirit,  coupled  with  an  exuber- 
ance of  life  and  jollity.  She  had  a  large  and  well- 
balanced  capacity  of  intellect,  sensibility,  and  will — in 
the  words  of  Cicero,  "inexplicable  preeminent." 

Among  Miss  Blinn's  fellow-teachers  in  York  was  a 
young    woman,    the    daughter    of    a    minister,    who, 


A  High  School  Teaclicr  63 

strange  to  say,  had  lost  her  Christian  faith  and  took 
no  interest  in  reHgious  affairs.  Miss  BHnn  saw  in 
this  friend  rich  possibiHties  of  service  for  Christ,  and 
set  herself  to  win  her  when  others  had  almost  given 
her  up  as  hopeless.  Gloriously  her  faith  was  re- 
warded wdien  several  years  later  a  letter  from  this 
friend  reported  that  she  had  accepted  Christ  as  her 
Savior,  and  that  she  was  going  to  the  church  the 
next  Sunday  to  be  received  into  membership  and  to 
share  in  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper.  When, 
not  long  after  her  conversion,  she  left  for  Europe  to 
engage  in  war  work,  she  said  in  a  good-bye  letter  to 
Miss  Blinn,  '*If  I  never  come  back  I  want  you  to  know 
how  I  love  you  and  how  I  thank  you  for  what  you 
have  put  into  my  life."  Since  the  war  closed,  this 
young  woman  has  been  engaged  in  traveling  among 
the  cities  of  our  own  country  in  the  interests  of  the 
Near  East  Relief.  She  says :  "To  have  been  admitted 
to  intimate  friendship  with  Vera  Blinn  was  one  of  the 
rarest  privileges  that  ever  came  to  my  life.  She  was 
an  ideal  friend,  for  when  she  gave  her  love  she  also 
gave  of  herself  unreservedly.  In  the  beginning  of  our 
friendship  I  had  no  interest  in  Christian  work,  but 
she  loved  me  in  spite  of  it  and  never  made  me  feel 
that  she  thought  she  was  better  than  I.  She  entered 
into  all  my  interests,  and  I  began  to  respect  and  love 
her  because  she  was  so  good  and  yet  so  human.  I 
think  it  was  that  which  made  me  feel  that  her  religion 
meant  everything  to  her — and  I  began  to  think  more 
seriously.  She  never  'preached'  to  me,  but  I  know 
she  prayed   for  me.     She  used  to  ask  me  to  go  to 


64  A  High  School  Teacher 

church  with  her  occasionally,  and  sometimes  would 
send  me  a  little  book  to  read.  I  shall  never  forget  her 
loving  letter  when  I  wrote  her  that  I  was  to  unite 
with  the  church.  It  was  the  every  day  life  of  Miss 
Blinn  that  made  the  impression,  for  she  truly  lived 
what  she  believed." 

When  she  took  up  her  work  with  York  high  school, 
Miss  Blinn  was  glad  to  ally  herself  again  with  the 
United  Brethren  Church  of  that  city,  where  she  found 
a  warm  welcome  and  soon  became  active  in  the  various 
departments  of  the  work,  especially  the  Women's  Mis- 
sionary Association.  In  her  enthusiasm  she  inspired 
the  women  to  an  effort  to  make  every  woman  and 
girl  in  the  church  a  member,  either  of  the  Women's 
society  or  the  Otterbein  Guild.  She  organized  and 
taught  a  mission  study  class,  using  as  her  text  book 
**Our  Church  Abroad,"  and  gave  a  number  of  interest- 
ing missionary  lectures  in  the  church.  The  whole 
membership  soon  began  to  evidence  a  new  interest  in 
missions  and  talked  of  assuming  the  full  support  of 
a  missionary,  which  at  that  time  required  $500  a  year. 
Many  thought  this  an  impossible  undertaking,  but 
Miss  Blinn's  courage  helped  the  faithful  pastor  to 
dissipate  doubt,  and  after  consultation  and  prayer  a 
day  was  set  for  the  consummation  of  the  plan.  Miss 
Blinn  had  consented  to  be  the  speaker  on  that  par- 
ticular Sunday  morning,  but  it  was  with  a  troubled 
face  that  she  entered  the  church,  for  there  was  a  pour- 
ing rain  and  poor  prospects  for  an  audience.  Her 
pastor  only  smiled  and  said,  "The  Lord's  weather 
never  interferes  with  the  Lord's  work."    Out  of  a  full 


A  High  School  Teacher  65 

heart,  Miss  Blinn  brought  her  message  that  morning. 
The  pledges  of  money  given  exceeded  the  $500  goal, 
and  York  church  began  the  support  of  a  missionary 
in  Porto  Rico,  which  work  it  has  continued  ever  since. 
Practically  every  woman  and  girl  of  the  York  church 
was  definitely  enlisted  in  the  missionary  work  that 
year — a  thing  unparalleled  in  any  other  church  in  the 
denomination.  On  Woman's  Day  alone  seventy-one 
new  members  came  forward,  thirty-two  of  whom  had 
been  brought  in  by  Miss  Blinn's  own  mother.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  the  York  pastor,  as  he  now  recalls  those 
days,  says,  'Thank  God  for  Miss  Blinn !  May  her  life 
be  multiplied  a  thousand  times !  The  influence  of  her 
towering  faith  and  unswerving  loyalty  abide  with  the 
church  today."  And  is  it  any  wonder  that  Miss  Blinn 
used  to  thank  God  over  and  over  again  for  her  own 
wonderful  mother? 

During  those  two  years  in  York,  Miss  Blinn  lived 
over  again  and  again  the  days  when  she  had  traveled 
over  the  church,  the  experiences  she  had  had,  the 
places  she  had  visited,  the  good  people  she  had  met, 
the  good  dinners  she  had  eaten,  the  pleasant  surprises 
the  girls  had  now  and  again  sprung  on  her.  She 
recounted  to  her  friends  incidents — of  the  place  where 
the  boys  helped  the  girls  so  much  with  their  missionary 
work,  of  the  time  in  Indiana  when  she  had  made  her 
"maiden  speech,"  of  the  institutes  in  Ohio  where  she 
and  Mrs.  H.  K.  Shumaker  had  traveled  together,  and 
where,  she  said,  "One  morning  I  made  the  worst  failure 
I  ever  made  in  my  life  with  a  speech.     Mrs.  Shumaker 


66  A  High  School  Teacher 

thought  it  was  because  my  collar  was  too  tight,  but 
I  took  it  off  at  noon  and  did  still  worse  in  the  after- 
noon." Then  there  was  that  place  where  the  pastor 
so  much  wanted  an  Otterbein  Guild  in  his  church  that 
he  had  come  to  her  and  said,  **Don't  you  leave  here 
until  this  child  is  born,"  and,  once  born,  what  a  sur- 
prising growth  that  ''child"  had  made.  These  inci- 
dents were  now  pleasant  memories,  but  above  all  she 
gloried  in  the  spiritual  achievements.  All  other 
experiences  were  but  mere  incidents  by  the  way. 

Never  once  did  Miss  Blinn  lose  her  deep  interest  in 
"her  girls"  all  over  the  Church,  and  she  kept  in  close 
touch  with  them  through  the  Evangel.  She  rejoiced 
when  a  capable  secretary  was  found  for  the  Otterbein 
Guild,  and  wrote  a  loving  recommendation  of  her  to 
the  girls.  In  her  various  writings  is  seen  constantly 
flaming  forth  a  desire  to  make  more  intelligent  and 
useful  and  worth-while  the  lives  of  the  girls  of  the 
whole  Church.  One  of  her  strong  and  beautiful 
messages  to  them  was  as  follows : 

THE    king's    signet 

*'In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  will  I  take 
thee  *  *  *  and  will  make  thee  as  a  signet:  for  I 
have  chosen  thee."    Haggai  2 :23. 

"  *In  that  day,'  he  says.  What  greater  day  than 
this?  This  is  the  one  day  in  all  the  history  of  the 
world  when  young  people  need  to  equip  themselves  to 
carry  forward  courageously  and  well  the  banners  of 
the   militant   church  of   Jesus   Christ.     What  young 


A  High  School  Teacher  67 

woman  of  today  wants  it  said  of  her,  'She  Hved  at  a 
great  moment,  but  she  had  no  greatness  with  which 
to  meet  it?' 

**Now  a  signet  used  by  a  king  is  not  of  gold  or 
silver;  it  is  not  set  with  diamonds  and  rubies  and 
pearls.  It  is  made  of  common,  ordinary  clay.  And  so 
this  call  today  comes  not  solely  to  the  young  woman 
of  extraordinary  ability  or  excellent  training,  but  to 
all  of  us  who  are  of  the  mediocre  class.  Jesus  Christ, 
looking  down  into  the  heart  of  every  young  woman  of 
his  church,  viewing  there  the  capabilities  and  possi- 
bilities which  are  often  unknown  to  the  girl  herself, 
says,  *I  want  you  for  my  signet.  I  have  a  great 
work  to  do.  It  matters  not  to  me  whether  you  are  a 
school  girl,  clerk,  stenographer,  teacher,  or  just  a 
daughter  in  the  home — I  need  you  for  my  work.  Give 
me  just  the  ordinary  clay  of  your  life,  which  may 
often  seem  to  you  monotonous  and  humdrum,  and  I 
will  touch  it  with  my  own  life  and  quicken  it  with  my 
own  power,  and  you  shall  be  my  signet  in  this  great 
day,  my  daughter.' 

"A  signet  is  always  stamped  with  the  image  of  the 
king.  *I  want  to  take  this  common  clay  and  fashion 
it  according  to  my  own  will,  stamp  it  with  my  own 
image,  and  send  you  out  to  express  my  love  to  the 
world.'  Jesus  Christ  not  only  shows  us  in  His  own 
example  the  blessedness  of  a  life  in  a  fellowship 
with  the  Father,  but  He  makes  it  possible  for  us.  Our 
Lord  takes  us  up  into  a  relationship  of  love  with  Him- 
self, and  we  go  out  into  life  inspired  with  His  spirit  to 
work  His  work.  To  feel  thus  the  touch  of  God  on  our 


68  A  High  School  Teacher 

lives  changes  the  world.  Will  you  today  be  willing  to 
receive  this  touch,  this  image  of  the  King  on  your 
life?  *In  this  great  day,  young  woman,  I  want  to  take 
you  and  make  you  a  signet,  for  I  have  chosen  you.'  " 

During  the  summer  vacation  of  1916,  Miss  Blinn 
made  a  visit  to  the  United  Brethren  home  mission 
field  in  New  Mexico.  Her  brother,  Paul,  accompanied 
her  as  far  as  Colorado,  and  they  climbed  Pike's  Peak 
together.  This  proved  rather  a  more  serious  pleasure 
than  they  had  anticipated,  and  they  found  themselves 
trying  to  make  their  way  down  the  mountain  side 
after  dark  and  Miss  Blinn  so  tired  she  could  hardly 
take  another  step.  Paul  tried  to  carry  her  but  they 
could  not  make  much  progress  that  way.  It  was  mid- 
night when  they  reached  the  half-way  house,  where 
they  roused  the  keepers  and  persuaded  them,  wi^Lh 
some  difficulty,  to  take  them  in  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night. 

The  touch  with  the  home  mission  work  in  New 
Mexico  roused  in  Miss  Blinn  all  the  old  missionary 
fire.  She  fell  in  love  with  the  Mexican  girls  of  the 
mission  as  soon  as  she  saw  them.  She  was  shown 
the  place  where  the  'Tenitentes"  march  for  their 
annual  celebration,  bearing  their  heavy  crosses  and 
lashing  their  bodies  till  they  are  covered  with  welts 
and  bleeding  gashes.  She  saw  the  multitudes 
scattered  and  without  a  shepherd.  This  great  need 
within  our  very  gates  stirred  the  heart  of  this  earnest 
girl  and  sent  her  home  to  plead  for  the  home  mission 
work  with  flaming  enthusiasm. 


A  High  School  Teacher  69 

In  addition  to  her  high  school  work  at  York,  Miss 
Blinn  often  spent  Sundays  in  other  towns,  giving  her 
messages  and  then  hurrying  home  to  be  ready  for  her 
work  on  Monday  mornings.  In  this  way  she  greatly 
developed  and  strengthened  the  work  of  the  Nebraska 
Branch  of  the  Women's  Missionary  Association.  One 
day  in  the  autumn  of  1916  she  received  a  message 
from  Dayton,  Ohio,  asking  if  it  would  be  possible  for 
her  to  go  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  to  present  the  interests 
of  the  Association  at  the  annual  conference  then  in 
session  in  that  city.  It  was  the  first  time  the  Associa- 
tion had  asked  such  service  from  her  since  she  left 
Dayton  and  her  heart  leaped  at  the  opportun- 
ity. She  found  that  she  could  get  a  release  from 
school  work  for  a  day  or  two  and  began  preparations 
for  the  trip.  While  packing  her  suit  case  she  ex- 
claimed ''This  makes  me  homesick !"  then  suddenly 
turned  away  to  hide  from  her  mother  the  fast-falling 
tears.  The  next  spring  she  was  asked  to  go  to 
Wichita,  Kansas,  to  speak  for  the  Association  at  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Church.  Those  who  heard 
her  on  that  occasion  will  never  forget  the  impressive- 
ness  of  her  appeal. 

People  everywhere  marvelled  at  Miss  Blinn's 
unusual  ability  as  a  speaker.  It  was  only  her  most 
intimate  friends  who  knew  the  long  hours  of  study 
and  prayer  she  spent  in  preparing  her  public  addresses. 
The  one  she  gave  at  the  General  Conference  had  con- 
sumed all  the  time  she  could  spare  for  days.  Once 
she  started  for  a  walk  to  think  through  that  message 
and  became  so  absorbed  that,  almost  before  she  was 


70  A  High  School  Teacher 

aware  of  it,  she  found  herself  three  miles  from  home. 
Sometimes  she  was  obliged  to  speak  without  having 
much  time  for  preparation,  but  as  a  rule  her  addresses 
were  carefully  studied,  sifted,  and  driven  hard  into 
her  own  soul  before  she  attempted  to  give  them  to 
others.  It  was  this  thoroughness  of  preparation,  to- 
gether with  her  own  true,  rich,  overflowing  spiritual 
life  that  made  her  a  speaker  of  such  persuasive  power. 

"Thou  must  be  true  thyself 

If  thou  the  truth  wouldst  teach; 
Thy  soul  must  overflow 

If  thou  another  soul  wouldst  reach; 
It  needs  the  overflow  of  heart 
To  give  the  lips  fidl  speech." 

In  the  spring  of  1917,  Miss  Blinn  was  asked  to 
return  to  Dayton  and  take  the  editorship  of  the 
Evangel.  The  former  editor  was  going  to  be  married 
and  go  to  China.  Miss  Blinn  finally  consented,  and 
the  brave,  self-sacrificing  mother  gave  her  a  cheerful 
release  from  home  obligations  and  bade  her  God- 
speed to  her  new  work.  She  could  not  keep  back  from 
Him  the  child  He  so  obviously  claimed  as  His  own. 
Then  the  mother  and  Paul  decided  to  sell  the  home 
in  York  and  move  to  Wichita,  where  they  could  be 
near  Bertha  and  her  family. 

In  accepting  the  call  to  become  Evangel  editor,  there 
was  one  big  question  that  kept  ever  and  again  recurring 
to  Miss  Blinn's  mind:  Why  coidd  she  not  have  been 
going  to  China?  Just  before  leaving  Nebraska  for  the 
East  she  met  a  trusted  friend  and  said,  "I  cannot  un- 
derstand this  providence.     My  heart  has  always  been 


A  High  School  Teacher  71 

set  on  going  to  China  or  some  other  foreign  mission 
field.  I  have  worked  hard  to  equip  myself  and  have 
severed,  at  terrible  cost  to  myself,  every  tie  that  v^ould 
bind  me  from  that  work,  and  now  I  am  asked  to  go 
back  to  Dayton  and  become  Evangel  editor.  Why  is  it 
this  way?  Can  you  tell  me?"  "Perhaps,"  replied 
her  friend,  "It  is  because  God  is  not  willing  that  your 
sphere  of  service  be  limited  to  China  alone,  but  wants 
to  use  you  for  Africa,  Japan,  Porto  Rico,  and  the 
Philippine  Islands — all  our  foreign  fields — and  at  the 
same  time  to  help  lift  the  Church  at  home  to  a  higher 
spiritual  plane." 

The  friend  who  gave  her  this  answer  is  the  one  who 
writes  these  words,  and  later  years  proved  that  she 
was  right.  Miss  Blinn  loved  the  whole  world.  Her 
field  zvas  the  world. 


Laid  on  Thine  altar,  O  my  Lord  Divine, 

Accept  this  gift  today,  for  Jesus'  sake; 
I  have  no  jewels  to  adorn  Thy  shrine, 

Nor  any  world-famed  sacrifice  to  make; 
But  here  I  bring  within  my  trembling  hand 

This  will  of  mine — a  thing  that  seenieth  small, 
But  Thou  alone,  O  Lord,  canst  understand. 

How,  when  I  yield  Thee  this,  I  yield  my  all. 

Hidden  therein  Thy  searching  gaze  can  see 

Struggles  of  passions,,  visions  of  delight, 
All  that  I  have,  or  am,  or  fain  would  be — 

Deep  loves,  fond  hopes,  and  longings  infinite. 
It  hath  been  wet  zvith  tears,  and  dimmed  zvith  sighs. 

Clenched  in  my  grasp  till  beauty  hath  it  none; 
Now  from  Thy  footstool,  where  it  vanquished  lies. 

The  prayer  asccndeth — May  Thy  will  be  done! 

Take  it,  O  Father,  ere  my  courage  fail. 

And  merge  it  so  in  Thine  own  will  that  even 
If,  in  some  desperate  hour,  my  cries  prevail. 

And  Thou  give  back  my  gift,  it  may  have  been 
So  changed,  so  purified^  so  fair  have  grown, 

So  one  with  Thee,  so  filled  with  peace  divine, 
I  may  not  know  or  feel  it  as  my  own, 

But  gaining  back  my  ivill  may  find  it  Thine. 

Used   by    Vera    Blinn    in    Evangel 


CHAPTER  VI 

EDITOR  OF  THE  EVANGEL 

''All  My  Friends  know  that  I  never  did,  cannot  now, 
and  never  can  write  what  editors  call  an  'article' !  Now 
just  what  the  qualifications  of  an  article  are,  I  do  not 
know,  but  I  do  know  that  I  never  wrote  one."  Who 
would  fancy  such  a  statement  as  this  coming  from 
the  pen  of  a  young  woman  a  year  before  she  was 
called  to  the  editorial  chair  of  the  Evangel — a  place 
which  she  most  capably  filled  for  two  and  a  half 
years  ? 

Miss  Blinn's  work  had  meant  so  much  to  the 
Nebraska  Branch  of  the  Women's  Missionary 
Association  that  it  was  not  easy  for  them  to  give  her 
up.  "But  then  I  suppose  we  shall  have  the  Lord 
left,"  said  one  of  the  women.  So  back  to  Dayton 
Miss  Blinn  came,  back  to  the  welcome  fireside  of 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  S.  D.  Faust,  where  she  had  previously 
made  her  home  and  whom  she  had  come  to  call 
"father  and  mother  Faust."  Back  she  came  to  the 
many  friends  that  loved  her,  and  to  her  place  in  the 
general  work  of  the  Church  for  which  she  was  so 
admirably  fitted. 

Perhaps  it  should  be  said  here  that  there  are  un- 
written pages  in  Miss  Blinn's  history.     She  has  passed 


74  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

through  some  momentous  experiences — desperate  days 
that  tested  to  the  very  core  her  faith  and  consecration. 
Thus  it  is  our  Heavenly  Father  chastens  those  he  loves 
the  most — grinds  the  hardest  His  costHest  gems,  that 
they  may  shine  w^ith  richer  and  purer  luster  in  the 
setting  for  which  He  has  chosen  them.  He  w^anted 
to  make  a  bright  star  of  her,  hence  this  tempest  of 
her  life.  But  after  the  storms  and  floods  had  passed, 
they  left  her  more  closely  and  rapturously  embracing 
and  kissing  the  Cross,  by  v^hich,  she  could  truly  say, 
*'the  world  is  crucified  unto  me  and  I  unto  the  world." 
As  she  took  up  her  new  task,  friends  could  detect  in 
her  a  new  and  completer  abandonment  to  her  Lord. 
All  those  who  touched  her  life  became  conscious  of  a 
new  sacredness  in  her  personality  and  a  new  power 
in  her  message. 

In  her  first  message  as  editor  of  the  Evangel,  she 
paid  loving  tribute  to  those  who  preceded  her  in  this 
work,  spoke  of  their  powerful  influence  for  good  upon 
her  Hf e,  and  said :  "It  is  unthinkable  that  I  should  fol- 
low such  as  these.  As  I  sat  in  the  sessions  of  our  Board 
meeting  and  listened  to  the  appeals  of  the  missionaries 
from  all  our  fields,  I  wondered  how  it  would  be  possi- 
ble, month  by  month,  so  to  plan  and  write  that  the  vis- 
ion of  these  many  unoccupied  villages  in  America. 
Africa,  China,  Japan,  Porto  Rico,  and  the  Philippines 
should  cause  you  and  our  whole  Church  to  determine 
that  there  shall  be  no  unoccupied  villages  in  any  terri- 
tory for  which  United  Brethren  are  responsible.  There's 
only  one  source  of  confidence  and  that  is  that  God 
doesn't  value  our  talents  or  lives  for  what  they  are  in 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  75 

themselves  but  for  what  He  can  make  of  them.  When 
He  called  Simon  to  be  His  disciple,  He  said,  'Thou  art 
Simon,  but  thou  shalt  be  called  Peter.'  And  He  used 
Peter  to  bring  into  the  Kingdom  in  one  day  three 
thousand  persons  and  to  open  the  door  for  the  Gospel 
to  the  Gentiles.  I  bring  to  Him  today  every  small  tal- 
ent, I  bring  to  Him  my  entire  life  and  purpose.  I  have 
no  thought  but  that  of  glorifying  Him.  I  want  to  say 
with  David  Livingstone,  'I  have  done  nothing  for 
Thee  yet,  and  I  would  like  to  do  something.  Fill  me 
with  Thy  love  now !'  And  so  today  I  dedicate  myself 
to  this  work — to  help  Him  realize  His  expectation  of 
seeing  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  become  His  own." 

Miss  Blinn's  thorough  college  training  and  her  ex- 
perience in  teaching  gave  her  a  literary  preparation 
for  editorial  work  which  any  might  covet.  Her  style 
was  strong,  clear,  direct,  and  added  to  these  was  soul 
fervor  and  intense  spiritual  purpose.  Yet  how  humbly 
and  unpretentiously  she  approached  her  task.  After 
editing  her  first  issue  of  the  paper  she  declared  to 
intimate  friends  that  she  had  written  everything  she 
knew  for  that  first  issue  and  wondered  what  she  would 
do  when  the  next  issue  became  due.  She  had  heard 
somebody  say  that  a  flower  was  made  to  blossom  and 
a  bird  to  sing,  and  that  a  flower  must  never  try  to  sing 
nor  a  bird  try  to  blossom.  She  laughingly  compared  her 
efforts  at  editorial  work  to  those  of  a  ''bird  trying  to 
blossom." 

J.  Hudson  Taylor  says  that  all  God's  giants  have 
been  weak  men,  who  did  great  things  for  God  because 
they  reckoned  on  His  being  with  them.     And  so  this 


7(>  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

young  editor,  who  had  so  little  confidence  in  herself, 
had  limitless  faith  in  God.  She  had  found  a  chance 
to  reach  with  her  pen  a  larger  audience  than  with  her 
voice,  and  her  purpose  from  the  very  first  was  to 
make  every  number  of  the  Evangel  carry  a  strong, 
persuasive  message  to  its  readers.  In  her  early  edi- 
torials she  pleaded  with  the  women  for  a  deeper 
abandonment  of  themselves  to  Christ,  for  the  giving 
of  themselves  to  rugged  heroism  for  His  sake.  "The 
Cross  has  won  no  victories  in  the  hands  of  sluggish 
and  unbleeding  heralds,  and  Calvary  has  never  told 
a  convincing  story  through  the  ministry  of  frozen 
hearts,"  was  a  challenge  she  caught  up  and  flung  on  to 
the  women.  "Oh,  that  God  would  raise  up  in  our 
Association,"  she  wrote,  "women  who  would  give 
themselves  to  praying  as  they  give  themselves  to  noth- 
ing else,  women  who  would  say,  'This  is  my  work.  I 
will  not  cease  to  make  mention  of  the  workers  in  my 
prayers  day  and  night.'  How  wonderful  it  is  that 
God  has  committed  the  possibility  of  such  ministry  to 
the  lowliest  disciple  as  well  as  to  the  most  brilliant 
leaders  in  the  church.  The  wonderful  promises  of 
power  were  meant  no  more  for  David  Livingstone 
than  they  are  meant  for  you.  Tf  ye  abide  in  me  and 
my  words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and 
it  shall  be  done  unto  you.'  That  is  for  you.  If  you 
will  ask,  He  will  send  forth  laborers ;  if  you  will  ask. 
He  will  loosen  purse  strings;  if  you  ask,  wisdom  and 
power  will  be  given  to  the  missionaries ;  if  you  ask, 
a  great  harvest  of  souls  will  be  brought  into  the 
Kingdom." 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  77 

Miss  Blinn  understood  from  the  first  that  becom- 
ing "Evangel  editor''  meant  a  much  wider  sphere  of 
service  than  those  words  would  indicate.  Almost  as 
soon  as  she  reached  the  office  plans  were  on  foot  for 
field  work,  and  cheerfully,  even  eagerly,  she  took  up 
the  old  line  of  travel.  There  were  incessant  demands 
for  her  at  branch  meetings,  annual  conferences,  state 
councils,  summer  conferences,  executive  committee 
meetings,  board  meetings,  institutes,  and  local 
churches,  and  wherever  she  went  she  spoke  with  ever- 
increasing  power  and  effectiveness.  Sometimes  her 
editing  was  done  while  she  was  out  in  field  service, 
taking  time  between  meetings,  or  in  late  hours  of  the 
night,  and  then  she  would  send  the  copy  to  the  office 
by  mail. 

In  her  messages,  both  written  and  spoken,  Miss 
Blinn  made  constant  and  very  effective  use  of  the 
Scriptures.  A  woman  once  told  her  how  greatly  a  life 
had  been  blessed  by  the  Scripture  that  was  used  in 
one  of  her  addresses.  After  this  Miss  Blinn  studied 
more  than  ever  to  use  the  *'Sword  of  the  Spirit" 
valiantly.  Always  disclaiming  to  be  a  preacher, 
she  did  claim  the  right  to  use  texts  for  her  talks. 
She  never  apologized  for  anything  the  Bible  said, 
nor  tried  to  explain  away  the  keen  edge  of  its  mean- 
ing. The  "Word  of  God"  was  needed  in  a  "World  of 
God,"  and  "I  watch  over  my  Word  to  perform  it,"  was 
the  promise  He  had  given.  She  constantly  sought  to 
impress  upon  people  the  absolute  necessity  of  Bible 
study  to  their  spiritual  growth  and  development. 
When  women  said  they  had  so  much  to  do  they  did 


78  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

not  have  time  to  read  the  Bible,  her  quick  reply  was, 
"If  you  have  so  much  to  do  that  you  have  no  time  for 
the  Bible,  then  you  have  more  to  do  than  God  ever 
intended  you  to  have." 

One  of  Miss  Blinn's  dearest  charms  w^as  her  un- 
feigned humility.  She  seemed  equally  at  home  with 
the  rich  and  poor,  the  cultured  and  the  uncultured.  If 
there  was  any  preference  it  might  have  been  for  the 
latter  since  they  perhaps  needed  her  most.  She  was 
remarkably  free  from  spiritual  pride.  Once  somebody 
said  to  her :  ''I  think  you  are  the  most  unselfish  person 
I  ever  knew.  Your  life  has  helped  me  wonderfully  in 
understanding  and  interpreting  the  Master."  Her 
reply  was,  ''When  you  speak  of  my  devotion  to  my 
Master  it  makes  me  thoroughly  ashamed.  My  life  is 
so  full  of  weaknesses  and  shortcomings,  I  should  be 
very  happy  to  think  that  even  a  little  of  the  Christ-Hfe 
in  me  was  an  inspiration  to  anyone  else." 

She  must  have  known  that  no  person  in  the  Church 
was  more  heartily  welcomed,  or  was  listened  to  with 
greater  appreciation  than  herself.  Her  addresses  were 
always  of  a  high  literary  character  and  laden  with  a 
weight  of  spiritual  power,  but  she  resented  such 
allusions  to  them.  An  incident  that  happened  at  a 
branch  convention  is  typical  of  this  phase  of  her 
character.  She  had  given  a  very  helpful  series  of  de- 
votional talks.  Finally  one  session  was  thrown  open 
for  testimonies  and  one  after  another  the  women  rose 
and  began  to  remark  about  her  and  how  much  her 
presence  had  meant  to  them.  She  listened  rather  im- 
patiently   for   a    few   minutes   then   arose   and    said: 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  79 

"Friends,  this  meeting  must  close  unless  you  praise 
the  Lord  for  what  He  has  done.  If  I  have  done  any- 
thing at  all  it  was  through  Him." 

One  who  knew  Miss  Blinn  can  hardly  cease  to 
wonder  how,  out  of  her  very  busy  life,  she  managed 
to  find  so  much  time  for  individuals.  In  the  various 
homes  she  entered  she  seemed  to  take  interest  in  each 
member  of  the  family.  A  woman  who  traveled  with 
her  in  a  series  of  institutes  tells  how  they  were  stay- 
ing one  night  in  a  home  where  a  high  school  student 
was  worrying  over  his  lessons.  She  offered  her  help 
and  soon  he  was  having  one  of  the  most  hilarious 
hours  he  ever  spent  with  a  Latin  lesson.  He  said, 
"You  have  helped  me  more  than  anybody  I  ever 
studied  with  before." 

Courageous  herself.  Miss  Blinn  inspired  much  of 
it  in  others.  She  seemed  to  take  delight  in  helping 
people  to  discover  and  develop  their  own  possibilities. 
At  one  place  she  found  a  pastor  facing  an  almost  im- 
possible task  with  his  church.  "But  you  can  do  it! 
You  are  just  the  one  to  do  it!"  she  said,  "I  believe 
God  is  going  to  make  you  a  real  leader  for  these 
people."  "Then  what  could  a  person  do,"  said  that 
pastor,  "in  face  of  such  faith  and  confidence,  but  go 
ahead?" 

In  a  marked  way  this  Evangel  editor  and  general 
church  worker  came  to  appreciate  the  task  of  the 
Chrisftian  pastor.  She  was  often  entertained  in  United 
Brethren  parsonages  and  talked  over  pastors'  problems 
with  them  sympathetically.  Some  of  them  naturally 
thought  that  her  position  and  wide  field  of   service 


80  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

gave  her  a  great  advantage  over  them,  but  she  said: 
"The  thing  I  dislike  about  my  work  is  its  pubHcity,  It 
isn't  position  that  makes  a  man.  It  often  unmakes 
him.  I  v^^ould  be  wilHng  to  go  anywhere ;  to  the 
middle  of  Siberia  or  to  the  most  humble  country 
parish.  The  strategic  place  is  not  in  the  general  work 
but  in  the  local  church."  She  held  Gospel  ministers 
in  special  regard,  and  they  ranked  high  on  her  list  of 
real  heroes. 

When  in  Dayton  Miss  Blinn  attended  the  Euclid 
Avenue  church,  and  had  a  class  of  girls  in  the  Sunday 
school  for  whom  she  felt  deep  interest.  In  the  spring 
of  1919,  one  of  the  girls  of  her  class  fell  sick  and 
for  nine  weeks  was  obliged  to  spend  most  of  her 
time  in  bed.  During  all  this  time  her  teacher  visited 
her  often,  bringing  flowers  and  striving  to  cheer  her. 
At  last  it  was  learned  that  the  doctors  could  do  noth- 
ing for  her  and  she  steadily  grew  worse.  Miss  Blinn's 
days  were  unusually  full  at  this  time,  but  she  had 
an  interview  with  the  girl's  physician  and  learned  that 
the  only  hope  was  in  sending  her  to  Mayo  Brothers 
in  Rochester,  Minnesota.  Several  visits  were  made  to 
the  girl's  family,  then  the  case  was  placed  before  the 
Euclid  Avenue  church  and  they  began  to  gather  funds. 
In  due  time  the  girl  was  sent.  The  surgeon's  skill, 
together  with  the  cheering  letters  and  prayers  of  the 
church  people,  restored  her  and  she  returned  home 
and  was  soon  well  and  happy.  "And  praise  is  due  to 
the  Great  Physician,"  Miss  Blinn  said  to  her  on  her 
return,  "for  after  all.  He  is  the  one  who  gives  those 
doctors  their  skill." 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  81 

It  is  impossible  to  write  in  any  adequate  way  of 
the  varied  religious  activities  of  this  consecrated 
and  cultured  young  woman.  Many  of  the  leaflets  and 
exercises  published  by  the  Literature  Committee  of 
the  Missionary  Association  were  written  by  Miss 
Blinn,  though  she  did  not  attach  her  name  to  them. 
She  was  much  in  demand  for  conventions  and  rallies 
in  other  denominations,  and  also  for  interdenomina- 
tional work.  For  two  successive  years  she  gave  the 
week  of  lectures  on  the  current  mission  study  books 
for  the  Interdenominational  Federation  of  Missionary 
Societies  of  Dayton,  succeeding  women  of  wide  repu- 
tation from  Chicago  and  New  York.  She  was  on  the 
general  committee  of  the  Chambersburg  Summer 
Conference  of  Missions,  also  a  member  of  the  pro- 
gram committee  of  that  conference  for  two  years. 
She  represented  the  United  Brethren  women  on  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Council  of  Women  for 
Home  Missions  and  the  Federation  of  Women's 
Foreign  Mission  Boards  in  New  York  City.  She  was 
a  popular  speaker  among  industrial  girls  at  their  local 
and  summer  conferences,  and  was  as  much  at  home 
in  discussing  the  problems  of  girls  in  industry  as  in 
discussing  missions. 

The  marvel  is  that  with  all  Miss  Blinn's  other  work 
she  was  able  to  keep  the  Evangel  to  a  high  standard. 
The  first  year  of  her  editorship  the  circulation 
increased  from  12,300  to  15,000,  and  the  next  year  to 
18,000,  thus  realizing  in  two  years  the  goal  that  had 
been  set  for  four  years.  How  fully  she  appreciated 
the  responsibilities  of  a  Christian  editor  are  evidenced 


82  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

by  a  quotation  from  her  report  at  this  same  Board 
Meeting:  "The  Evangel,  what  is  it?  Only  a  bundle 
of  sheets  of  paper  and  printer's  ink?  Or  is  it  breath- 
ing, full  of  life — a  rich  personality  bringing  to  the 
women  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  this  as  their 
holy  calling — to  give  the  Water  of  Life  to  those  who 
thirst?  *  *  *  Every  day  I  have  been  your  editor 
has  brought  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  tre- 
mendously difficult  and  important  work  you  entrusted 
to  me.  The  Evang^el  during  the  nearly  forty  years  of 
its  life,  has  contributed  no  small  part  to  the  remark- 
able growth  and  work  of  our  Association.  Tt  has 
interested  those  who  ought  to  be  informed,  and 
informed  those  already  interested.'  As  you  contem- 
plate what  it  means  to  edit  a  paper,  which  must  be 
at  once  the  source  of  missionary  information  and 
inspiration  and  a  magazine  which  must  needs  bring 
such  a  challenge  to  the  unenlisted  as  to  commend  itself 
to  their  thought  and  study  and  to  create  in  them  a 
passion  for  the  world,  for  the  saving  of  which  our 
Lord  gave  His  life,  you  must  realize  what  it  means 
to  give  to  anyone  this  sacred  obligation.  On  the  one 
hand  the  world,  with  all  its  deep,  abysmal  need — the 
world,  weary,  sinning,  and  suffering — and  on  the 
other  Jesus  Christ,  whose  person  and  teachings  are 
the  only  remedy. 

"I  want  to  say  to  you  here  that  the  two  years  just 
past  have  been  the  happiest  and  the  richest  of  my  life. 
I  would  not  exchange  them  for  anything  in  the  world 
that  I  can  think  of.  I  am  overcome  as  I  remember 
today  God's  wonderful  love  and  grace  to  me." 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  83 

As  this  faithful  editor  closed  her  report  at  the  Scott- 
dale  Board  meeting,  the  secretary  of  literature  of 
Allegheny  Branch  gave  her  a  happy  surprise — thirty- 
two  yards  of  Evangel  subscriptions — with  these 
words : 

"It  is  not  possible  for  every  girl  and  woman  of 
Allegheny  Branch  to  be  present  and  hear  this  splendid 
report,  but  they  do  want  you  to  know  that  the  women 
of  this  Branch  appreciate  the  Evangel  and  its  editor. 
We  know  the  hours  of  toil  spent  and  fervent  prayers 
you  have  sent  up  in  order  that  the  women  may  have  a 
paper  of  which  we  can  be  proud.  As  an  expression 
of  appreciation  Allegheny  Branch  is  giving  you  an 
Evangel  shower. 

"I  am  happy  to  present  you  this  roll  of  new  sub- 
scribers, a  yard  for  each  one  of  the  thirty-two  pages 
the  Evangel  contains.  We  want  each  one  of  these 
little  green  slips  to  represent  to  you  another  woman 
working  and  praying  with  you.  This  is  the  check 
covering  these  subscriptions  and  with  it  you  receive  our 
love  and  best  wishes." 

With  this  she  handed  Miss  Blinn  one  hundred  and 
twenty  new  Evangel  subscriptions. 


Those  who  have  followed  Miss  Blinn's  life  and 
know  her  disappointment  in  being  baffled  and  turned 
back  again  and  again  from  her  chosen  field  to  another 


84  Editor  of  the  Evangel 

task,  will  read  her  own  heart's  story  in  the  poem  which 
she  gave  with  considerable  emotion  at  the  last  Board 
meeting  she  ever  attended : 

/  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  Master, 

Who  knezu  how  my  heart  burnt  with  love, 

And  said,  ''Let  me  work  in  thy  service. 
And  so  my  devotion  I'll  prove/' 

Then  I  looked  on  the  far  zvaving  harvest. 
Saw  the  need  of  more  laborers  there, 

And  I  said,  "Let  me  haste  to  the  reaping, 
And  my  sheaves  shall  be  golden  and  fair." 

But  he  said,  "Nay,  my  child,  there  are  others 

Far  stronger  my  reapers  to  be, 
Stay  thou  still  in  thy  place  and  be  zvatching 

To  do  some  small  service  for  me." 

Then  I  looked  on  the  green  sloping  hillsides, 

There  the  vineyards  in  terraces  lay. 
And  the  sunshine  so  balm  and  so  golden. 

Made  glad  the  long  harvest  day. 

And  I  said,  "Let  me  go  to  the  vineyards. 
There  the  clusters  hang  purple  and  sweet; 

I  will  gather  the  choicest  and  finest. 
And  will  bring  all  my  spoils  to  thy  feet." 

But  he  said,  "Nay  my  child,  there  are  others 

To  gather  the  fruit  of  the  vine; 
Stay  thou  still  in  thy  place  and  be  quiet. 

Nor  thus  at  tJiy  station  repine. 


Editor  of  the  Evangel  85 

So  I  looked  down  the  beautiful  valley 
Where  the  lilies  grew  stately  and  fair, 

And  the  roses  blushed  scarlet  and  crimson, 
And  scented  the  earth  and  the  air. 

And  I  said,  "Let  me  gather  the  flowers, 
Those  flowers  so  fair  and  so  szveet; 

I  will  bring  them  in  all  .their  bright  beauty 
And  will  lay  them  with  love  at  thy  feet." 

But  he  said,  "Nay,  my  child,  let  the  flowers 
Grow  on  in  their  fragrance  and  grace. 

They  are  not  for  thy  fingers  to  gather; 
Stay  thou  content  in  thy  place." 

'Twas  a  dream,  but  the  vision  remaineth 

And  now  in  the  byways  and  lanes 
I  search  for  the  clover  and  dairies 

And  glean  for  the  scattering  grains. 

My  sheaves  shall  be  scanty  and  humble, 

All  others  more  stately  and  good, 
But  what  joy  if  at  nightfall  the  Master 

Shall  say,  "She  hath  done  what  she  could." 


I  THANK  THEE 

For  the  daily  task,  a  little  too  big  and  a  little  too  hard  for 
my  present  ability,  and  for  the  daily  increase  of  power  that 
comes  to  meet  it. 

For  the  opportunity  to  give  that  makes  me  richer. 

For  the  privilege  of  service  that  proves  me  not  worthless 
^n  the  world. 

For  the  unspeakable  honor  of  working  with  Thee  and  meet- 
ing some  need  Thou  hast  of  me — which  I  cannot  understand, 
but  can  believe. 

For  happiness,  of  which  Thou  hast  given  me  a  generous 
share;  but  more  for  joy,  which  Thou  wouldst  not  limit,  as 
Thou  wouldst  not  limit  obedient  and  loving  service. 

For  the  certainty  learned  from  experience  that  Thou  dost 
hear  and  answer  the  cry  of  need,  and  therefore  Thou  wilt 
accept  the  thanksgiving  oi  an  eager,  grateful  heart — dear 
Lord  and  Father,  I  thank  Thee. 

From    Vera    Blinn's    Notebook 


CHAPTER  VII 

GENERAL   SECRETARY    OF   THE   WOMEN'S 
MISSIONARY  ASSOCIATION 

"/  had  rather  stand 
A  prophet  of  my  God.  with  all  the  thrills 
Of  trembling,  which  must  shake  the  heart  of  one 
Who  in  earth's  garments,  in  this  vesture  frail 
Of  flesh  and  blood,  is  called  to  minister 
As  Seraphs  do  with  fire,  than  bear  the  palm 
Of  any  other  triumph.     This  my  joy 

The  Lord  fuliUled." 

The  guiding  principle  of  those  last  years  of  Miss 
Blinn's  life  may  be  briefly  summarized  in  the  words 
of  the  great  missionary  apostle,  "Neither  count  I  my 
life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course 
with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I  have  received  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God."  She  gave  herself  to  Christian  service  with  an 
abandon  that  marks  the  consecration  of  but  few 
people.  All  her  activity,  all  her  thought,  all  her  plan- 
ning had  to  do  with  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Everything  was  irrelevant  and  secondary 
except  as  it  contributed  to  the  primary  purpose  of 
her  life.  The  magnitude  of  no  task  staggered  her  if 
she  believed  it  was  what  God  wanted  done.  "What 
is  Christianity  for,  but  to  achieve  the  impossible?" 
was  among  her  favorite  quotations. 


88  General  Secretary 

Through  all  her  busy  days  and  crowding  cares,  she 
made  it  a  rule  of  her  life  to  go  apart  each  day  for 
Bible  study  and  prayer.  This  was  the  secret  spring  of 
her  overflowing  life.  Here  she  searched  her  own  heart 
in  the  Holy  Spirit's  light,  and  braced  her  spirit  for  the 
conflict. 

She  always  emphasized  the  necessity  of  full  and 
complete  surrender  to  God  for  a  life  of  power  and 
effectiveness  in  service.  She  never  asked  anybody  else 
to  do  anything  she  was  not  willing  to  do  herself.  "It 
is  not  right,"  she  said,  "to  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
to  send  forth  laborers  till  you  have  first  given  yourself 
and  your  own.  No  person  is  fit  to  do  real  service  for 
the  Lord  in  America  or  anywhere  else  till  he  is  willing 
to  go  to  the  heart  of  Africa  or  any  other  place  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  if  God  wants  him  to  go.  It  is  sur- 
render alone  which  will  give  us  power.  We  must 
strip  ourselves  of  reliance  on  buildings  or  appropria- 
tions or  anything  else  but  God.  We  must  become  men 
and  women  to  whom  Christ  is  the  only  reality/' 

The  ever-widening  circle  of  this  young  woman's 
influence  constantly  baffles  and  eludes  us  as  we  try  to 
follow  it.  It  cannot  be  bounded  by  human  estimates. 
To  try  to  put  it  into  words  is  like  trying  to  gather 
again  the  fragrance  of  a  lovely  flower  that  has  diffused 
itself  into  the  atmosphere  and  gone — only  God  knows 
where. 

Miss  Blinn's  advance  from  the  office  of  Evangel 
editor  to  that  of  General  Secretary  of  the  Missionary 
Association  was  but  a  natural  step  in  the  process  of 
her  unfolding  Hfe.     She  took  over  the  full  duties  of 


General  Secretary  89 

this  office  in  January,  1920,  and  served  till  September 
28,  during  which  time  she  freely  poured  out  the  last 
full  measure  of  her  heart's  devotion  to  the  work  of 
the  Association  and  to  her  God. 

Desiring  to  make  herself  as  helpful  as  possible  to 
the  women  of  the  Church,  she  sent  out  letters  at  once 
to  the  Branch  presidents,  the  first  paragraph  of  which 
will  show  how  completely  she  put  herself  at  their 
disposal : 

"As  I  take  up  my  duties  as  Secretary  my  thoughts 
and  prayers  are  very  much  with  the  faithful  women 
who  are  the  leaders  of  the  work  in  the  various 
Branches.  I  want  to  send  you  just  this  word  of  greet- 
ing as  we  begin  our  new  relationship  together,  and  to 
ask  you  to  command  me  for  any  service  I  can  give  in 
assisting  you  in  the  work  of  your  Branch.  I  am  your 
servant.  Will  you  not  be  very  free  at  any  time  to 
offer  suggestions  or  to  point  out  ways  in  which  our 
help  from  headquarters  may  be  more  practical?  I 
shall  count  on  you  to  give  us  the  viewpoint  of  the 
women  and  girls  in  local  societies  and  chapters  in  your 
Branch.  We  shall  greatly  appreciate  constructive 
criticism." 

The  women  of  the  Association  looked  into  the 
future  with  unlimited  hopes  and  plans  for  their  work 
under  the  leadership  of  this  capable  young  woman.  Her 
years  of  service  with  them  had  given  her  a  master  grip 
on  the  whole  field  of  their  work.  She  had  already 
made  a  place  for  herself  in  the  heart  of  the  Church, 
and  was  everywhere  loved  and  welcomed.  She  was 
able  to  enter  in  a  wonderful  way  into  the  work  of  the 


90  General  Secretary 

missionaries,  both  in  the  home  and  foreign  fields ;  she 
gloried  in  their  achievements ;  she  studied  their 
problems,  and  kept  them  always  wrapped  round  in 
the  warm  folds  of  her  prayers. 

Miss  Blinn  stood  foremost  among  the  Church 
leaders  as  a  promoter  of  the  whole  work  of  the  Church. 
When  the  United  Enlistment  Movement  was  launched 
with  its  call  for  intercessors,  life  work  recruits,  tithing 
stewards,  and  a  consecration  and  empowerment  of  the 
church  adequate  to  its  great  task,  she  saw  in  it  hope  for 
the  realization  of  her  vision  and  threw  herself  into  it 
with  conviction  and  enthusiasm.  Out  of  her  busy  life 
she  gladly  gave  months  of  time  to  the  promotion  of  this 
movement  in  colleges,  institutes,  conventions,  and  in 
local  churches,  where  she  helped  scores  of  pastors  to 
reach  their  goals.  She  challenged  the  women  of  the 
Church  to  herioc  cooperation  with  the  men  in  realizing 
these  larger  aims,  and  in  a  published  message  to  them 
she  said : 

*'The  responsibility  of  evangelizing  the  world  is 
too  heavy  for  women's  shoulders  to  bear  alone.  The 
Master  told  Mary  to  bear  the  news  to  His  disciples 
that  He  had  risen,  but  it  was  to  eleven  men  with  their 
big  strong  hands  and  hearts  that  He  said,  'Go  and 
make  disciples  of  all  nations  *  *  *'  The  faith  and 
vision  of  the  women  plus  the  statesmanship  and  vigor 
of  the  men,  are  now  beginning  to  accomplish  what 
neither  could  achieve  alone.  This  is  the  day  for  which 
we  long  have  prayed.  Let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it. 
But  let  us  do  more  than  that.  Let  us  faithfully  and 
gloriously  lift  our  share  of  the  burden  as  women  mem- 


General  Secretary  91 

bers  of  our  churches.  Now  is  our  opportunity  to 
make  good  our  boastings  of  the  past  and  to  demon- 
strate the  truth  of  our  claim,  that  the  Women's  Mis- 
sionary Association  makes  good,  faithful  church 
members." 

Miss  Blinn  had  attractive  social  qualities  and  loved 
to  mingle  with  people  and  work  with  them.  Some- 
where among  her  notes  she  wrote,  "Jesus  loved 
society — loved  to  be  with  people.  Wt  are  most  like 
Jesus  when  we  are  most  human — when  we  love  to  be 
with  people."  Miss  Blinn  loved  people,  rich  or 
poor,  old  or  young,  black  or  white,  yellow  or  brown. 
She  was  always  generous  in  her  judgment  of  others. 
She  could  not  harbor  ill  will  toward  any  living  being. 
If  she  was  ever  treated  with  disregard  she  was  inclined 
to  look  for  the  blame  in  herself.  Once  when  she  was 
made  to  suffer  almost  beyond  endurance  by  one  she 
had  counted  her  friend,  she  attributed  it  to  some  lack 
of  adjustment,  or  perhaps  some  bit  of  selfishness  on 
her  own  part,  and  said  : 

"Self   is    dying,    slozvly    dying, 
Oh,  the  pain  that  it  does  cost." 

Did  she  have  no  faults?  Of  course  she  had  them, 
for  she  was  only  human.  She  would  have  said  that 
she  had  more  than  almost  anybody  else.  The  way 
of  life  was  far  from  smooth  for  her.  She  was 
abundantly  acquainted  with  hardships  and  trials,  the 
kind  that  try  the  souls  of  men  and  women.  She  had 
moods  of  discouragement  and  despondency  as  well  as 


92  General  Secretary 

others,  but  she  did  not  let  them  overcome  and  crush 
her.     She  went  straight  on  in  spite  of  them. 

In  her  work  she  found  pleasure  and  exhilaration. 
Everywhere  she  went  people  eagerly  sought  draughts 
of  the  inspiration  she  could  bring  them,  and  she  gave 
lavishly  of  all  the  best  that  God  had  given  her.  To 
consider  and  spare  herself  was  not  one  of  Miss  Blinn's 
instincts.  *T  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent 
me,  while  it  is  day;  the  night  cometh  when  no  man 
can  work,"  was  the  impelling  force  that  drove  her  on. 
"Swift  responsiveness  with  a  kind  of  spendthrift 
generosity  has  ever  been  the  beauty  of  admirable 
women."  These  habits  of  whole-hearted  devotion  were 
at  once  her  ''glory  and  her  danger."  Her  outgoing 
spirit  exposed  her  continually  to  excessive  strain. 

With  comparatively  good  health  she  pursued  her 
work  throughout  the  winter  of  1920.  In  the  spring 
she  attended  a  number  of  Branch  meetings.  In  her 
closing  talk  at  one  of  the  large  Branch  conventions, 
she  said:  "Women,  we  shall  never  all  be  together 
again  as  we  are  today.  When  your  Branch  meets  next 
year  some  one  of  us  will  be  missing.  It  may  be  you. 
It  may  be  I."  But  nobody  imagined  as  they  looked 
into  her  earnest  face  that  day,  that  it  would  be  she — so 
young,  so  apparently  healthy,  so  full  of  promise  for 
years  to  come.  Nobody  dreamed  that  at  that  very 
hour  an  unsuspected  disease  had  begun  its  deadly 
work  upon  her  physical  frame. 

In  response  to  an  urgent  call  from  the  Pacific  Coast 
it  was  decided  that  Miss  Blinn  should  spend  the  sum- 
mer   months    among    the    churches    of    Washington, 


General  Secretary  93 

Oregon,  and  California.  This  was  new  territory  for 
her,  and  everything  was  full  of  intense  interest.  She 
spoke  in  a  number  of  churches  where  they  had  never 
heard  a  missionary  address  before.  Writing  of  a 
service  in  Oregon,  she  said:  **My  audience  was  made 
up  of  big,  husky  ranchmen.  One  of  them  came  to  me 
after  the  meeting  and  said,  'I  never  saw  things  just 
this  way  before;  you  have  lifted  us  to  a  higher  plane.' 
We  organized  a  missionary  society  there." 

A  record  in  her  journal  says:  *'The  president  of  the 
Oregon  Branch  is  traveling  with  me  thus  far.  Just  now 
we  are  in  the  beautiful  Willamette  Valley,  and  just  in 
fruit  season.  How  I  enjoy  it!  Everyone  is  good  to 
me.  They  all  act  as  if  they  were  glad  to  have  me  out 
here."  Another  place  the  journal  reads :  "Greatest 
day  of  my  itinerary  thus  far.  Praise  the  Lord  for 
His  blessings!  Nearly  all  my  audience  were  young 
people.  Five  young  men  in  one  group  marched  right 
up  to  the  front  seat.  I  never  saw  finer  young  people 
in  my  life.  We  asked  only  for  a  basket  offering,  but 
they  pledged  a  hundred  dollars  to  be  paid  through 
the  local  treasurer  of  the  Women's  Missionary  As- 
sociation. Every  parent  stood,  willing  to  let  their  chil- 
dren go  anywhere.  Then  forty  young  people,  mostly 
young  men,  stood  up  saying  they  would  obey  the  voice 
of  God  no  matter  where  it  called.  One  woman  re- 
joiced that  the  five  of  her  seven  children  who  were 
there  stood  up.  This  church  has  had  no  pastor  for 
four  years." 

Sometimes  friends  took  Miss  Blinn  for  a  day's 
outing,  and  this  she  enjoyed  to  the  full.     The  climate, 


94  General  Secretary 

tlie  fruit,  the  ocean,  all  delighted  her.  "We  had  a  day 
off  at  the  beach,"  she  wrote  in  her  journal;  **I  had  a 
dip  in  the  ocean,  buried  myself  in  the  sand,  and  was 
as  care-free  as  a  child.  It  was  a  quiet,  secluded 
spot,  and  how  we  did  rest !  I  got  a  good  dose  of  sun- 
burn, but  I  feel  good.  Physically  I  am  like  a  new 
person — so  much  better  than  when  I  left  the  office.  I 
sleep  well  and  you  should  see  how  I  eat — especially 
cherries !  I  am  in  love  with  this  country.  I  am  happy 
in  service.  What  more  could  I  want?"  In  some  of 
her  letters  she  spoke  of  it  as  being  the  greatest  trip  of 
all  her  life.  One  day  she  visited  in  the  home  of  the 
aged  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Castle,  and  her  hours  with  them 
were  like  a  divine  benediction  to  her  life.  Among 
other  things  the  Bishop  said  to  her,  ''You  are  living  up 
to  your  name,  *Vera.  God  has  given  you  the  highest 
honor — that  of  sowing  the  Word."  Then  after  he  had 
expounded  the  two  parables  of  the  sower,  she  said: 
"We  clasped  hands  in  prayer  and  Bishop  Castle  prayed 
for  me,  unworthy  as  I  am,  that,  wherever  I  go,  I 
might  leave  behind  me  a  broad  stretch  of  land  over 
which  the  good  seed — the  Word  of  God — has  been 
sown." 

On  her  way  home  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  she  im- 
proved this,  her  first  opportunity,  to  visit  the  Grand 
Canyon  in  Arizona.  She  stopped  a  few  days  at 
Wichita,  Kansas,  to  visit  the  home  folks  and  used  this 
time  to  help  her  mother  rearrange  her  little  home  fol- 
lowing the  marriage  of  the  brother,  Paul.  The  home 
folks !     How  she  had  always  loved  them !     The  diffi- 

*True 


THE    FOUR    XIFXES 
ESTHER.    KITH,    RA(  HAEL    AND    MARV    I'.rKKF/l 


General  Secretary  95 

culties  they  had  met  and  conquered  together  in  earher 
Hfe  had  served  to  strengthen  even  these  dearest  of 
human  ties,  and  wherever  she  traveled  thoughts  of 
"mamma  and  Paul  and  Bertha  and  her  family"  were 
always  with  her.  By  this  time  her  sister  had  quite  a 
family  of  her  own.  Miss  Blinn  could  never  forget  the 
thrill  that  came  to  her  years  ago,  when  for  the  first 
time  she  heard  that  she  had  a  niece,  and  how  friends 
had  joked  her  about  shouting  down  the  rain  barrel  to 
see  how  it  would  sound  to  be  called  "Auntie."  Three 
more  such  thrills  had  come  to  her  in  the  years  since 
passed,  and  now  she  had  four  bright,  beautiful 
nieces,  Esther,  Ruth,  Rachael,  and  Mary,  whom  she 
loved  as  if  they  had  been  her  own  daughters.  These 
nieces  always  followed  their  Aunt  Vera  with  their 
heart  interest  and  their  prayers,  and  she  always  made 
it  a  point  to  spend  Christmas  holidays  with  them  and 
"mother."  The  last  Christmas  season  when  she  was  in 
Wichita  she  had  spoken  in  her  brother-in-law's  church, 
and  at  the  close  of  her  address  the  greatest  thrill  of  all 
had  come  as  her  second  niece,  Ruth,  had  run  to  her 
and  throwing  her  arms  about  her  neck,  had  said, 
"Aunt  Vera,  I  am  surely  going  to  be  a  missionary." 

On  this  visit  to  Wichita  she  spoke  again  in  the 
Waco  Avenue  Church.  It  was  the  last  address  she 
ever  gave.  Before  leaving  the  city  she  organized  a 
Missionary  Society  among  the  women  of  that  church. 
It  also  was  her  last. 


ON  ANY  MORNING 

Think  of 
Stepping  on  shore  and  Ending  it  heaven! 
Of  taking  hold  of  a  hand  and  finding  it  God's  hand; 
Of  breathing  a  new  air  and  finding  it  Celestial  air; 
Of  feeling  invigorated  and  finding  it  immortality ; 
Of  passing  from  storm  and  tempest  to  an  unknown  calm; 
Of  waking  up  and  finding  it  home! 

From    Vera    Blinn's    Note    Book 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HER  CROWNING 

Death  came  to  Vera  Blinn  with  bewildering  swift- 
ness. When  she  returned  from  the  Pacific  Coast  to 
Dayton,  she  gave  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Women's 
Missionary  Association  a  long,  enthusiastic  report  of 
her  trip.  She  suggested  plans  for  the  further  develop- 
ment of  the  work,  and  expressed  deepened  conviction 
that  the  greatest  need  on  the  coast  was  for  more 
trained  and  consecrated  workers. 

She  looked  thin  and  worn,  and  friends  felt  deep 
concern  and  insisted  that  she  consult  a  physician.  She 
finally  did  so,  and  then  learned  with  certainty,  what 
she  had  but  very  recently  begun  to  suspect — that  she 
was  a  victim  of  diabetes.  She  was  immediately  re- 
leased from  her  duties,  and  it  was  hoped  that  with 
complete  rest  and  heroic  medical  treatment  she  might 
be  restored.  On  Saturday  night,  September  25,  she 
suddenly  collapsed  and  took  her  bed.  Her  condition 
soon  roused  grave  fears,  and  her  mother  was  sum- 
moned. Telegrams  were  sent  to  the  Trustees  of  the 
Missionary  Association,  Branch  presidents,  and  other 
friends,  calling  them  to  prayer.  On  Sunday  morning 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  S.  D.  Faust  reluctantly  consented  to 
her  being  taken  from  their  home  to  the  hospital  where. 


98  Her  Croivning 

llie  pliysicians  claimed,  better  treatment  could  be 
given  her.  Many  of  the  United  Brethren  churches 
of  Dayton  gave  themselves  to  prayer  in  her  behalf 
at  the  morning  services.  All  that  medical  skill 
and  the  loving  care  of  nurses  and  friends  could  do, 
was  done  to  save  her,  but  God  was  calling  her  to 
sublimer  service. 

It  was  during  one  of  those  nights  at  the  hospital, 
when  earthly  things  were  fast  receding  and  things 
eternal  coming  into  vievv^,  that  she  seemed  to  glimpse 
the  consummation  of  her  life's  dedication,  for  she 
repeated  again  and  again  with  animation,  *'A  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth." 

She  lingered  for  a  couple  of  days  in  a  semi-con- 
scious state.  When  Tuesday  morning  dawned,  the 
lamp  of  her  life  had  burned  out;  the  arms  of  Love 
had  gathered  her  in. 

"Now  fair  on  earth 
The  nezv  day  breaketh — but  a  sivecter  daivn 
Hath  visited  our  sister's  weary  heart, 
And  in  its  light  she  sleepeth.    For  behold! 
The  silver  eord  ivas  broken  in  the  night, 
And  the  loosened  soul  has  found  its  rest  in   God." 

That  same  morning  her  mother  and  sister  arrived 
from  Kansas,  too  late  to  say  good-bye.  Four  hours 
before  their  arrival  she  had  gone  into  the  city  of  her 
everlasting  possessions. 

Miss  Blinn  died  Tuesday,  September  28,  1920.  On 
Wednesday  her  body  lay  in  state  for  several  hours  in 
the   Euclid  Avenue  Church,  and   in  the  afternoon   a 


Her  Cr owning  99 

simple  funeral  service  was  held.  lier  Sunday-school 
class  attended  in  a  body.  The  Trustees  of  the 
Women's  Missionary  Association,  all  clad  in  white, 
stood  by  the  casket.  A  host  of  people,  general  officers, 
seminary  professors,  students,  and  friends,  gathered 
to  pay  their  last  tributes  to  one  of  the  best  yoke- 
fellows they  ever  had.  Her  pastor.  Reverend  F.  L. 
Dennis,  of  Euclid  Avenue  Church,  had  charge  of  the 
service.  Doctor  O.  T.  Deever  and  Doctor  S.  D.  Faust 
led  in  devotions.  The  hymns  were  her  favorites, 
"He  Leadeth  Me,"  "Crossing  the  Bar,"  and  "Open 
the  Gates  of  the  Temple."  Mrs.  S.  S.  Hough, 
representing  the  Women's  Missionary  Association, 
gave  a  sketch  of  her  life  and  work ;  Bishop  A.  T.  How- 
ard, representing  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 
spoke  on  "Her  Influence  on  the  Denomination" ; 
Doctor  P.  M.  Camp,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions,  spoke  on  "Her  Life  a  Challenge  to  Deeper 
Consecration" ;  her  pastor.  Reverend  F.  L.  Dennis, 
concluded  with  brief  remarks.  A  spirit  of  triumph 
and  victory  pervaded  the  whole  service.  The  spirit- 
deserted  body,  lying  there  all  in  white  and  surrounded 
with  masses  of  beautiful  flowers,  did  not  seem  to  be 
hers.     Her  great  soul  had  gone, 

"Leaving  the  outgrown  sJiell  b\ 
life's  unresting  sea." 

Friends  started  that  evening  with  all  that  was 
mortal  of  Vera  Blinn  for  the  last,  long  journey  west. 

The  following  Saturday  morning  the  final  services 
were  held  in  the  Waco  Avenue  Church,  in  Wichita, 


100  Her  Croivnhig 

Kansas,  where  Miss  Blinn's  brother-in-law,  Rev.  J.  W. 
Burkett,  is  pastor.  Reverend  C.  E.  Heisel  was  in 
charge  and  read  the  Scripture.  Reverend  A.  L. 
Deever,  a  college  classmate,  offered  prayer.  The  hymn, 
"Ivory  Palaces,"  was  given  by  the  choir.  Mrs.  S.  S. 
Hough,  Chairman  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Women's 
Missionary  Association,  gave  a  sketch  of  her  Hfe.  Miss 
Elsie  Hall,  Secretary  of  the  Otterbein  Guild,  spoke  of 
her  influence  upon  the  lives  of  the  young  people  of  the 
Church.  Reverend  C.  V.  Priddle.  a  life-long  friend 
of  the  Blinn  family,  told  of  her  work  for  the  denomina- 
tion. Reverend  L.  F.  John,  pastor  of  the  church  at 
York,  Nebraska,  spoke  concerning  the  power  she  had 
been  in  that  local  church  while  a  teacher  in  college  and 
later  in  high  school.  Dean  W.  S.  Reese,  of  Kansas 
City  University,  brought  a  comforting  message  from 
John  11:25,26.  "I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life; 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall 
he  live;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me 
shall  never  die."  The  spirit  of  the  entire  service 
reflected  the  truth  of  these  words  of  the  Master  of 
Life,  and  proclaimed  that  Miss  Blinn  is  not  dead. 
She  lives!     In  larger  life,  unfettered,  free,  she  lives! 


"To  be  with  Christ  is  far  better."  One  present  at  this 
service  said :  "How  impressive  it  was  !  The  radiance 
of  her  life  seemed  to  dispel  the  sadness  of  her  death. 
Those  two  representatives  of  the  Missionary  Associa- 
tion, Miss  Elsie  Hall  and  Miss  Florence  Clippinger, 
who,  clad  in  white,  stood  so  reverently,  one  at  the 
head  and  the  other  at  the  foot  of  the  bier,  reminded  us 
of  the  angels  in  Joseph's  tomb — types  of  the  invisi])le 


Ilcr  Croivu'nig  101 

watchers  who  guard  the  dust  of  those  who  sleep  in 
Christ  till  He  gathers  it  again  in  the  resurrection 
morning. 

Directly  behind  the  altar  in  the  large  window,  was 
the  emblem  of  the  Cross.  Through  it  came  the  light 
that  fell  upon  the  beautiful  white  casket  that  held  the 
earth  house  of  one  who  had  exalted  the  Cross  in  all 
her  messages  and  bore  its  marks  in  her  life. 

Out  on  the  Kansas  plains  they  made  her  grave,  near 
the  little  white  Pleasant  Valley  church,  close  by  the 
side  of  her  sainted  father.  Over  this  grave,  as  over 
every  grave  of  God's  precious  dead,  may  be  inscribed 
heaven's  epitaph,  "Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the 
Lord,  from  henceforth ;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they 
may  rest  from  their  labors ;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them." 

What  Miss  Blinn's  work  is  in  this  new  sphere  to 
which  she  has  gone  we  do  not  know,  nor  what  part  she 
may  still  have  in  earth's  tasks.  It  is  easy  for  us  to 
believe  that  the  "great  cloud  of  witnesses,"  by  whom 
we  are  surrounded,  may  be  permitted  to  do  more  than 
merely  witness  the  efforts  of  those  engaged  in  the  same 
tasks  which  were  so  shortly  before  their  own.  One  of 
the  speakers  at  the  funeral  suggested  that  since  the  one 
great  work  of  our  Lord  is  intercession  at  God's  right 
hand,  perhaps  those  who  have  learned  so  well  how  to 
share  this  blessed  ministry  with  him  on  earth  may 
still  be  permitted  to  share  it  in  a  larger  way  with  him 
in  heaven.  One  thing  we  know,  to  one  who  lived  as 
Miss  Blinn  lived  "death  is  gain,"  and  with  Christ  she 
lives  today  a  crowned  soul. 


102  Her  Cvoiviiing 

Miss  Blinn  still  lives  in  those  whose  lives  she 
touched  while  on  earth.  The  words  she  spoke  are 
repeated  today  in  a  thousand  echoes  through  the  hearts 
of  those  who  heard  her.  "Her  soul  is  marching  on." 
Were  all  those  blest  by  her  ministry,  and  who  now 
form  a  part  of  her  "joy  and  her  crown  of  rejoicing," 
to  bring  a  tribute  to  her  memory  they  would  fill  books. 
From  north,  east,  south  and  west  these  tributes  have 
come,  from  bishops,  general  church  officers,  mission- 
aries, evangelists,  pastors,  college  professors  and 
students,  from  men,  women,  and  girls,  all  showing  tlic 
large  way  she  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of 
the  Church.     Some  of  these  tributes  are  here  given : 

"She  is  'home  first'  but  left  a  mighty  impression  for 
Christ  and  His  kingdom."  "Her  life  of  devotion  will 
ever  linger  round  us,  and  every  woman  in  our  circle  is 
better  by  her  coming  to  us."  "Her  life  was  dominated 
Ijy  first  things,  and  invested  in  a  way  that  will  count 
through  eternity."  "I  could  not  escape  from  her 
words.  They  burned  themselves  into  my  very  soul 
until  I  was  led  to  make  a  glad  surrender."  "She  was 
one  of  the  means  used  to  lead  my  daughter  to  pledge 
herself  as  a  life  recruit."  "What  a  true  and  faithful 
witness  she  was  for  her  Christ !"  "Oh,  how  she  did 
love  Jesus,  her  glorious  Lord !  With  what  holy 
abandon  she  gave  every  vestige  of  her  body  and  mind 
to  Him!"  "I  have  watched  her  life  and  it  has  changed 
mine."  "She  came  into  our  home  and  instantly  we 
loved  her,  from  the  youngest  to  the  eldest."  "She 
made  a  deep  impression  on  me,  and  I  determined  to 
live   a   consecrated    life — that    deeper    life    in    Christ 


Hey  Crowning  103 

Jesus."  "She  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  women 
in  public  address  I  ever  heard."  ''Heaven  is  richer 
because  of  her  entrance,  earth  poorer."  "I  shall  never 
forget  her  cheery  'good-bye'  and  best  wishes  when  she 
started  me  on  my  way  to  China."  "We  who  were  at 
the  Chambersburg  School  of  Missions  those  two  sum- 
mers she  was  there  will  never  forget  the  devotional 
hours  she  spent  with  us  under  the  United  Brethren 
banner  just  before  bedtime.  There  is  reason  to  believe 
that  some  life  decisions  were  made  there."  "She  took 
the  whole  world's  needs  into  her  heart."  "She  was  a 
wise,  safe  counselor  to  her  pastor  and  his  family.  In 
the  pew  she  was  an  inspirer  to  better  preaching." 
"The  one  sentence  I  most  remember  in  her  letters  to 
me  were,  'Hold  me  tight  with  prayer.'  "  "Her  address 
at  the  first  Branch  convention  I  ever  attended  was  one 
thing  that  led  me  to  volunteer."  "Hers  was  a  religion 
with  a  smile."  "More  beautiful  and  enduring  than  any 
monument  of  stone  or  founding  of  institutions  will  be 
the  glad  response  of  the  multiudes  she  has  thrilled 
with  voice  and  pen."  "She  has  gone  but  her  light  will 
always  shine  through  the  lives  of  many  she  has 
blessed." 

Bishop  A.  T.  Howard,  illustrating  the  influence  of 
her  life,  said  at  her  funeral:  "The  corn  of  wheat,  or 
the  human  Christian  spirit,  in  that  experience  we  call 
death  into  which  it  ventures  is  simply  allying  itself 
with  great  new  friendly  forces  which  steadfastly  pro- 
tect the  inner  core  of  vital  being  and  lead  it  through 
the  hour  of  so-called  death  into  the  miracle  of  multi- 
plied and  multiplying  life." 


104  Her  Crozviiing 

Doctor  P.  M.  Camp  said  at  the  funeral:  "Her  life 
was  noble  in  purpose  and  in  devotion  to  that  purpose. 
She  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Man  of  Calvary, 
who  set  His  life  to  righteousness  at  all  cost,  turned  His 
back  to  all  ease  and  comfort  of  life,  and  with  an  im- 
mortal faith  in  God,  gave  His  life  to  save  a  sinful 
world.     Her  life  goes  on  eternally  enlarging." 

Mrs.  L.  R.  Harford,  President  of  the  Women's  Mis- 
sionary Association,  wrote :  '''Everywhere  her  voice 
was  heard  it  rang  true  in  loyalty  to  Jesus  Christ.  She 
was  the  glad,  willing  bond-servant  of  Jehovah.  For 
our  future  workers,  at  home  and  abroad,  I  crave  such 
utter  abandonment  of  self,  such  dedication  of  every 
power  to  the  cause  of  the  Kingdom  as  Miss  Blinn  ad- 
vocated and  exemplified." 

A  woman  of  another  denomination  says :  "We  never 
thought  of  her  as  belonging  to  any  one  denomination. 
She  seemed  to  belong  to  us  all." 

The  Council  of  the  Federated  Missionary  Societies 
of  Dayton  wrote:  "W^e  feel  our  loss  most  keenly,  and 
know  that  we  must  always  be  a  little  better  because  of 
our  contact  with  this  unselfish  and  beautifully  conse- 
crated young  woman." 

Miss  Blinn's  mother  said:  "Since  she  has  gone  I 
realize  that  she  belonged  first  to  the  Lord,  then  to  the 
Church  and  last  of  all  to  us." 

From  a  friend  is  this  testimony :  "God  was 
graciously  good  to  bring  me  in  touch  with  such  a 
heavenly  life  before  He  took  her  from  us.  I  under- 
stand better  now  the  relative  value  of  things 
heavenly  and  things  earthly.     No  more  can  things  of 


I  ley  Crozviiing  105 

a  material  nature  have  much  attraction  for  me,  only  as 
they  may  be  used  to  further  the  interests  of  the 
spiritual  life." 

The  deaconess  of  the  Euclid  Avenue  Church  relates 
this  experience:  *'Her  life  seemed  so  perfect  and 
beautiful  in  every  way,  but  there  is  one  thing  that 
stands  out,  perhaps  because  found  in  so  few  of  us,  her 
dislike  of  gossip  and  her  freedom  from  criticism.  She 
was  so  just  always.  I  shall  never  forget  a  lesson  I 
learned  one  evening  when  we,  with  other  friends, 
were  discussing  certain  phases  of  church  work. 
Some  adverse  criticism  was  made,  and  I  made  one  re- 
mark, whereupon  Miss  Blinn  exclaimed,  'Oh,  Ella' !  I 
said  no  more  but  sat  thinking  how  uncharitable  I  had 
been,  and  resolved  never  again  to  merit  a  like  rebuke." 

A  professor  in  York  College:  "Mary  poured  out 
the  precious  box  of  ointment  upon  the  head  of  her 
Lord.  The  spirit  of  the  world  sneered  and  said,  'What 
a  waste!'  but  Jesus  said,  'She  hath  wrought  a  good 
work  upon  me.'  Miss  Blinn,  too,  poured  out  her 
precious  box  of  ointment,  her  very  life,  at  her 
Master's  feet.  The  world  still  says,  'What  a  waste! 
What  a  waste  of  brilliant  intellect,  of  keen  perception, 
of  wonderful  memory,  of  prodigious  energy,  of  bound- 
less enthusiasm,  of  untiring  effort!  What  a  waste!' 
But  Jesus  would  say,  'Wherever  the  feet  of  them  that 
bring  good  tidings  go  forth  beautiful  upon  the  moun- 
tains, the  influence  and  inspiration  of  Miss  Blinn's 
life  will  go  too,  and  will  be  felt  wherever  the  gospel  is 
preached.'  " 


106  llcr  Croii'iiiug 

A  pastor:  "I  cannot  think  of  her  as  other  than 
being  interested  and  helping  in  the  same  way  she  did 
licrc  to  further  the  interests  of  the  Kingdom,  only  now 
in  a  far  greater  capacity  and  larger  sphere.  What 
seemed  to  us  a  cutting  off  of  her  work  here  must 
have  been  only  a  release  for  larger  activity  and  larger 
service.  So  she  is  really  our  co-worker  today." 

A  Pennsylvania  school  teacher:  "I  shall  never 
cease  to  think  of  Miss  Blinn  as  my  ideal  Christian. 
Just  a  little  more  than  a  year  ago  I  first  heard  her. 
Oh,  the  wonderful  message  that  came  to  us  that  night! 
Her  text  was,  'Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me?' 
As  long  as  I  live  I  shall  have  before  me  the  picture  of 
her  standing  on  the  pulpit  and  pleading,  as  I  have 
never  heard  before  nor  since,  for  an  entire  consecra- 
tion of  our  lives  to  the  Lord.  I  have  talked  of  Miss 
Blinn  to  my  Juniors,  my  Sunday-school  class,  to  the 
Christian  Endeavor,  to  the  members  of  the  Missionary 
Society,  and  to  the  Guild  girls.  There  was  one  girl 
in  our  crowd  who  was  not  a  Christian,  but  shortly 
after  hearing  Miss  Blinn  she  said,  'Well,  she  had  an 
influence  on  me,  for  I  read  my  Bible  that  night,  which 
I  hadn't  done  for  ever  so  long.'  We  girls  coveted  this 
girl  for  the  Kingdom  and  we  all  prayed  for  her  and  a 
little  later  she  was  wondrously  saved  and  has  since 
become  our  Otterbein  Guild  president.  Oh,  why  can't 
we  have  more  flaming  evangels  like  Miss  Blinn?" 

Doctor  and  Mrs.  S.  D.  Faust,  with  whom  Miss 
Blinn  made  her  home  in  Dayton :  '*In  our  home  she 
seemed  like  an  angel  of  light.  She  did  not  'make  her- 
self one  of  the  family';  she  just  naturally  became  one 


Her  Croii'iiing  107 

of  us.  Her  rare  qualities  and  her  judicious  use  of 
them  made  us  feel  toward  her  as  if  she  were  our  own 
daughter.  And  so  it  seemed  altogether  fitting  when 
she  often  called  us  'father'  and  'mother.'  When  at 
leisure,  she  sat  with  us  through  the  evening  hours,  and 
at  the  time  of  family  worship  often  asked,  'Is  it  my 
turn?'  She  often  came  into  the  kitchen,  saying,  'Is 
there  anything  I  can  do?'  She  offered  that  comrade- 
ship which  made  her  presence  with  us  an  unceasing 
joy.  Do  you  wonder  that  we  loved  her?  And  she 
lived  the  life  she  professed.  When  out  of  her  private 
room,  is  was  her  custom  to  let  the  door  stand  wide 
open.  If  you  cared  to  look  into  the  room,  everything 
presented  itself  in  perfect  order.  But  upon  her  read- 
ing table  almost  always  lay  her  open  Bible,  and  beside 
it  a  small  volume  of  comments  upon  the  'daily  read- 
ings.' She  kept  the  'morning  watch,'  and  often  talked 
about  the  readings.  Great  heart !  Great  soul !  One 
early  morning  she  slipped  away  from  us  without  say- 
ing good-bye.  But  our  memory  of  her  is  like  the 
fragrance  of  some  paradise." 

Just  here  let  us  take  one  glimpse  into  the  life  of 
Miss  Blinn's  only  brother,  Paul.  For  some  years  he 
lived  a  nominal  Christian  life.  Burned  into  his 
memory  will  ever  be  the  experience  of  that  afternoon 
of  September  28,  when  he  was  called  to  the  telephone 
and,  like  a  flash  out  of  a  clear  sky,  came  the  words 
of  the  telegram,  "V^era  has  gone  to  her  crowning." 
Dazed,  bewildered,  sleepless,  he  lay  that  whole  night, 
his  heart  hard,  bitter  and  rebellious  against  a  fate  that 
could  wrench  his  sister  from  him  at  such  an  early  age. 


108  Her  Crozcn'mg 

But  before  the  dawning  a  voice  from  heaven  spoke  to 
him,  and  something  long  dead  in  his  soul  came  to  life. 
From  that  hour  his  life  was  changed.  He  began  to 
read  his  long-neglected  Bible  and  felt  a  growing  con- 
viction that  God  was  claiming  him  for  definite  service. 

One  Sunday  morning  in  December  there  was  an 
impressive  service  in  the  Waco  Avenue  Church,  in 
Wichita.  There  before  the  altar,  on  the  very  spot 
where  the  white  casket  had  rested  less  than  three 
months  before,  stood  Paul  Blinn,  with  his  face  toward 
the  great  cross  in  the  window,  publicly  pledging  his 
life  in  holy  service  to  God.  Close  by  his  side  stood 
his  young  wife,  and  with  them  six  others.  Two  of 
these  were  Miss  Blinn's  own  loved  nieces,  Ruth  and 
Rachael  Burkett,  who,  with  tears  streaming  over  their 
cheeks,  offered  their  young  lives,  too,  for  the  Lord's 
white  harv^est  fields. 

Paul  feels  himself  unworthy  and  unfit  for  his  great 
task,  but  Vera's  influence  holds  him  and  the  voice  of 
his  father  seems  to  be  calling  him  across  the  years  to 
come  and  follow.  He  was  principal  of  a  high  school 
when  granted  a  license  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  will 
take  special  training  for  Christian  work.  After  that, 
he  is  ready  for  service  either  in  the  home  or  foreign 
field  as  providence  shall  direct. 

And  so  it  seems  that  "after  many  days"  the  father's 
wish  is  to  be  realized  for  his  "preacher  boy." 

The  need  of  "reapers"  was  one  of  the  last  burdens 
on  Miss  Blinn's  heart.  It  was  one  of  the  needs  she 
last  urged  upon  the  Church  with  irresistible  conviction. 
"The  one  thing  that  impresses  me  above  everything 


Her  Croivning  109 

else  is  the  tremendous  need  of  men,"  she  wrote  in  one 
of  her  letters  from  the  Pacific  Coast.  Strong  men, 
thoroughly  trained,  were  her  ideals — men  of  unquench- 
able faith,  men  willing  to  give  all  there  is  of  them  to 
God.  In  view  of  this  fact  the  endowment  of  a  "Chair 
of  Missions"  in  the  Bonebrake  Theological  Seminary, 
by  the  Women's  Missionary  Association,  is  a  most 
fitting  tribute  to  her  memory.  The  Jubilee  Memorial 
fund  of  the  Association  is  designated  for  this  purpose. 

Miss  Blinn's  life  is  an  example  of  how  a  little  given 
to  God  may  be  increased  under  His  holy  touch.  He 
took  the  life  she  gave  Him,  and,  like  the  loaves  and 
fishes,  He  blest  it  and  brake  it  and  with  it  fed  the  mul- 
titudes— literally  fed  multitudes. 

The  great  evangelist,  D.  L.  Moody,  once  said  that 
the  world  has  not  yet  seen  what  God  can  do  through 
a  life  completely  consecrated  to  Him.  In  Miss  Blinn 
we  have  a  very  satisfying  illustration  of  His  working 
through  a  life  placed  completely  at  His  disposal.  She 
literally  burned  out  for  Him.  She  had  meant  it,  w^ith 
all  her  heart  she  had  meant  it,  when  in  earlier  years 
she  had  marked  those  words  in  her  Bible,  "Master,  I 
will  follow  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest."  In  her 
much  used  note  book  she  had  written  and  underscored 
the  words,  "What  is  more  blessed  than  to  lay  down 
life  for  Godf  And  on  another  page,  "Consecration 
may  involve  incessant  service  and  it  may  involve  blood- 
red  service,  but  through  that  sacrifice  God  unll  be 
made  knozvn.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  Cross."  Her 
whole  life  of  service  showed  that  she  had  learned  fel- 


110  Her  Crowning 

lowship  with  Christ  in  the  experiences  of  His  cross 
for  the  redemption  of  the  world.  Her  whole  challenge 
to  others  was  in  the  spirit  of  our  Lord's  own  call, 
''Whosoever  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me." 

We  are  wont  to  sigh  when  a  young  saint  dies  and 
say,  "What  a  pity  that  she  lived  out  only  half  her 
years."  Have  we  forgotten  that  our  Master's  own 
life  covered  but  thirty-three  years  of  earth's  time? 

"We  live  in  deeds,  not  years;  in  thoughts,  not  breaths; 
hi  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial. 
We  should  count  time  by  heart  throbs.    He  most  lives 
WJio  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 

Miss  Blinn's  life  was  short  only  in  years.  She 
crowded  more  of  real  living  into  thirty  years  than 
most  people  do  into  sixty  years.  She  must  have 
realized  deeply  the  meaning  of  those  words  she  wrote 
among  her  notes,  "It  is  nothing  to  die,  it  is  dreadful 
not  to  live."  How  wonderfully  she  lived !  How  won- 
derfully she  still  lives!  Such  a  life  of  whole-hearted 
service,  of  such  passionate  love  for  her  Lord,  carries 
with  it  as  sure  as  God  is  Love,  the  promise  of  an 
abundant  harvest  when  God  has  given  "the  increase." 

We  say  Miss  Blinn's  work  is  done.  Shall  we  not 
rather  say  her  work  has  just  begun?  Life  is  only  a 
time  of  seed  sowing.  It  is  God  that  "giveth  the 
increase."  "Their  works  do  follow  them,"  is  the 
promise  given  to  the  Apocalyptic  seer,  and  the  works 


Her  Cronniing  111 

that  follow  are  often  more  and  greater  than  those  ever 
wrought  in  life.  The  power  of  any  consecrated  life 
is  set  in  the  eternal  power  and  plan  of  God.  It  cannot 
die. 

"So  long  as  man  shall  live  and  die  in  Him, 
They,  living  in  Him,  die  hiujt  to  toil  and  tears. 
They,  dying  in  Him,  to  undreamed  glories  live 
Thai  shall  outlast  the  stars. 

"And  one  saiv  her  walking  close  zvith  Him 
In  festal  robes  beyond  the  sunrise  fair 
And  dowered  with  the  beauty  of  her  Lord. 
And  thus  He  led  her  up  the  smiling  streets 
Thronged  for  her  triumph,  to  the  sapphire  throne, 
To  bring  her  to  the  presence  of  the  King. 
And  all  the  holy  ones  who  bade  her  hail 
Said,  'Blessed  are  the  dead  in  zvhom  He  died! 
They  died  and  live  in  Him  forevermore; 
From  all  their  toils  for  Him  they  rest  in  Him, 
And  all  their  zvorks  for  Him  do  folloiv  them.' 

"And  one  zvho  heard  and  sazv  zvas  comforted." 


'O  grant  us  love  like  Thine, 

That  hears  the  cry  of  sorrow 
From  heathendom  ascending  to  the  throne  of  God; 
That  spurns  the  call  of  ease  and  home 
JJ'hile  Christ's  lost  sheep  in  darkness  roam. 

'O  grant  us  hearts  like  Thine, 

U'^'ise,  tender,  faithful,  childlike, 
That  seek  no  more  their  own,  but  live  to  do  Thy  ivill! 
The  hearts  that  seek  Thy  Kingdom  first, 
Nor  linger  while  the  people  thirst. 

'O  grant  us  minds  like  Thine, 

That  compassed  all  the  stations; 
That  szi'ept   o'er  land   and  sea  and   loved   the   least   of  all, 
Great  things  attempting  for  the  Lord, 
Expecting  mighty  things  from  God." 


CALLL\G  OUT  RECRUITS 

A  characteristic  address  by  Miss  Blinn. 

"Whereof  I  u^as  made  a  minister,  according  to  the  gift  of 
the  grace  of  God  given  unto  vie  by  the  ell'ectual  working  of 
his  pozver. 

"Unto  me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  is  tJiis 
grace  given,  that  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ; 

"And  to  make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the 
mystery,  which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  hath  been 
hid  in  God,  who  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ." — 
Ephcsians  3  ■.7-9. 

"As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy 
Gliost  said,  'Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  ivork 
whereunto  I  have  called  them.' 

"So  they  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost  departed." — 
Acts\Z:2,^. 

Just  as  we  enter  upon  the  reconstruction  era,  when  all 
the  world  is  looking  to  America,  it  is  especially  fitting 
that  the  church  of  Christ  should  sound  the  recruiting 
call  for  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  at  home  and  abroad. 
A  very  large  share  of  the  responsibility  of  setting  the 
world  into  a  new  mold  is  committed  by  other  nations 
to  America  and  to  the  Christian  Church  of  America. 
How  fitting  it  is,  then,  that  in  this  third  great  crisis 
through  which  the  United  States  is  passing,  we  should 


114  Calling  out  Recruits 

pray  that  God  shall  give  us  men  and  women  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  men  and  women  chosen  of  Him 
who  shall  speak  for  the  American  people  and  lead 
them  in  the  supreme  endeavor  of  this  hour.  And  not 
only  should  we  pray  that  God  will  call  out  these  men 
and  women,  but  we  should  also  pray  that  He  will  show 
us  our  part  as  individuals  in  creating  such  an  atmos- 
phere as  that  the  young  people,  who  are  called  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  may  hear  and  obey  that  call. 

The  call  to  the  Christian  ministry  is  a  call  to  one  of 
the  heroic  professions.  There  were  brave  men  at 
Marathon,  at  Waterloo,  at  Gettysburg,  and  at  the 
Marne.  The  men  who  have  fought  the  battles  of 
our  civilization  on  land  and  sea,  under  the  sea  and  in 
the  air,  were  heroes,  and  their  names  are  among  the 
immortals,  but  they  did  not  monopolize  nor  exhaust 
the  heroism  of  the  human  race.  The  greatest  man 
and  preacher  that  ever  lived  was  told  that  in  every 
city  bonds  and  afflictions  awaited  him.  The  Master 
called  him  into  His  service  by  saying,  'T  will  show 
him  how  great  things  he  must  suffer  for  my  name's 
sake."  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  stoned,  he  was  ship- 
wrecked, he  was  imprisoned,  he  was  hungry  and 
thirsty  and  cold,  and  yet  to  a  young  minister,  his  son 
in  the  gospel,  he  wrote,  "Suffer  hardship  with  me 
as  a  good  soldier  of  Christ  Jesus." 

Read  again  the  story  of  how  Europe  was  won  to 
Christianity.  Surely  there  are  no  greater  names  in 
the  galaxy  of  heroes  than  Augustine,  Boniface,  Luther, 
and  Knox.     When  Boniface  was  an  old  man  and  an 


Calling  out  Recruits  115 

archbishop,  he  heard  of  a  remote  tribe  that  had  not 
been  reached.  Resigning  his  office  and  honors,  he 
went  out  to  win  that  savage  tribe  to  Christ.  As  he 
did  not  expect  to  return,  he  put  a  shroud  among  his 
clothing.  True  to  his  premonitions,  he  fell  at  the 
hands  of  those  he  had  gone  to  save. 

Although  John  Wesley  did  his  preaching  in  Eng- 
land, the  wonderful  revivals  which  spread  over  that 
country  as  the  result  of  his  efforts  are  felt  in 
America  even  unto  this  day.  When  he  died,  he  left 
no  wealth — only  four  silver  spoons  and  a  well-worn 
surplice.  At  his  funeral  there  was  no  hearse,  no 
coach.  He  was  carried  to  his  grave  by  poor  men,  and 
yet  this  man  in  whose  heart  the  Gospel  of  his  Lord 
was  as  a  flaming  fire  was  beaten  and  pelted  with  stones 
and  more  than  once  barely  escaped  with  his  life. 

The  men  who  preached  the  Gospel  in  America  in 
pioneer  times  were  heroes.  Among  these  are  the 
names  of  our  own  Christian  Newcomer,  Jacob  Resler, 
John  C.  Bright,  and  many  others.  Christian  New- 
comer crossed  the  Allegheny  mountains  thirty-eight 
times — not  in  a  Pullman  palace  car,  but  riding  in  the 
saddle,  wading  through  swamps,  fording  streams,  de- 
claring to  those  to  whom  he  went  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ. 

Tens  of  thousands  of  men  of  whom  the  world  has 
no  record  lived  heroic  lives  in  the  ministry  of  the 
gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  They  walked  in  His  foot- 
steps, accepted  His  principles  and  program,  and  called 
upon  the  people  to  live  soberly  and  righteously  and 


116  Calling  out  Recruits 

godly  in  this  present  world.  It  is  because  of  their  liz'es 
and  jjiijiistry  t/iat  mankind  in  its  march  has  not 
fainted,  and  fallen,  and  died. 

The  call  to  the  Christian  ministry  is  the  call  to 
preach  a  Gospel  that  has  demonstrated  its  power.  If 
Livingstone  should  come  back  to  earth  today,  he  could 
go  to  Zanzibar  and  stand  there  in  the  great  cathedral 
seating  two  thousand  Christians,  preaching  from  a 
pulpit  standing  over  the  very  spot  where  during 
his  lifetime  Arab  slave  traders  whipped  and  sold 
their  black-skinned  victims. 

Henry  Martyn  went  to  India  in  1806.  British  sea 
captains  had  been  ordered  to  land  no  more  mission- 
aries in  the  country.  He  retired  to  his  famous  little 
pagoda,  twelve  miles  from  the  Ganges,  where  he 
translated  the  New  Testament  into  Bengali.  He  could 
not  gain  a  hearing  from  the  Brahmans.  At  last  his 
faith  failed  him,  and,  moving  on  to  Persia,  he  declared 
he  would  as  soon  expect  to  see  a  dead  man  raised  to 
life  as  a  Brahman  to  become  a  Christian.  Recently 
in  that  same  pagoda  was  held  a  meeting  of  native 
Indian  Christian  leaders  from  all  parts  of  the  empire, 
Brahmans,  Mohammedans,  and  low  castes,  who 
devoted  themselves  afresh  to  Henry  Martyn's  Master 
and  theirs,  for  the  carrying  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
unreached  parts  of  India. 

China  thought  it  had  crushed  out  the  "foreign  super- 
stition" in  1900.  The  streets  of  Pao-ting-fu  ran  with 
blood.  Horace  Pitkin,  the  martyr  of  Yale,  died  in  the 
Boxer  uprising,  and  his  head  was  nailed  to  the  city 
arch.     Recently  Sherwood  Eddy  held  a  great  meeting 


Calling  out  Recruits  117 

there,  where  two  thousand  people,  including  the 
officials  of  the  city,  gathered  to  hear  America's 
ambassador  of  Christ.  A  thousand  were  turned  away. 
The  arch  was  covered  with  Christian  mottoes. 
Although  Mr.  Eddy  told  them  that  following  Christ 
might  mean  to  them  some  day  what  it  had  meant  to 
Pitkin,  one  hundred  men  confessed  and  enrolled  them- 
selves as  Christians,  ^^'e  are  called  to  serve  in  a 
winning  cause. 

All  the  men  of  whom  we  have  spoken  were  heroes 
because  they  were  men  of  conviction.  If  we  would 
today  produce  men  and  women  of  conviction,  the 
home,  the  school,  and  the  church  must  foster  the  ideals 
and  verities  of  the  Christian  faith.  "A  man  can- 
not be  the  herald  of  a  passion  he  has  not  himself 
experienced." 

These  new  recruits  of  ours  must  go  out  to  the  world 
themselves  to  speak  with  the  authority  of  a  divine 
message  and  of  a  spiritual  experience  based  on  the 
\\'ord. 

A  wonderful  responsibiliy  is  placed  here  upon  the 
womanhood  of  our  Church,  particularly  upon  the 
women  who  are  mothers  and  sisters  in  the  home.  It  is 
very  easy  by  some  expression  of  criticism  or  doubt  to 
keep  young  men  or  women  from  hearing  the  call  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Holy  Spirit  does  not  compel 
men  to  do  His  serv  ice.  He  woos,  but  He  never  forces. 
If  the  conversation  in  the  home  is  preeminently  along 
the  line  of  social  ambition  and  money-making,  how 
difficult  it  is  for  the  one  who  is  called  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  hear  and  to  obey  that  call!     Would  that  our 


118  Calling  out  Recruits 

women  everywhere  might  reaHze  that  it  is  a  sin  against 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  turn  aside  in  any  way  one  who  is 
called  of  God  to  His  service.  A  seed  that  is  planted 
in  the  ground  may  be  a  perfect  seed,  but  it  will  not 
grow  unless  the  soil  and  the  atmospheric  conditions 
contribute  to  its  growth.  May  we  think  of  the  call  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  seed  which  He  plants  in  the 
hearts  of  those  whom  He  calls.  That  seed  cannot  grow 
unless  you  and  I  do  our  part  to  prepare  the  soil  in 
which  it  is  to  grow. 

Many  of  you  have  heard  of  Martha  Campbell,  a 
young  teacher  in  a  country  school  in  Ohio.  She  had 
wanted  to  be  a  missionary  herself,  and  so  when  later 
six  children  came  to  her  home  she  consecrated  those 
little  lives  to  God.  Instead  of  yielding  to  the  tempta- 
tion which  poverty  makes  to  many  such  mothers  to 
take  their  children  from  school,  this  mother  saw  to  it 
that  five  of  her  boys  and  girls  completed  the  course 
at  the  University  of  Wooster,  at  Wooster,  Ohio,  the 
youngest  one  having  to  drop  out  because  of  poor 
health.  If  this  mother,  Martha  Campbell  White, 
should  today  have  a  family  reunion,  there  would  come 
to  her  home  one  daughter,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Compton,  who, 
with  her  husband,  spent  years  in  frontier  home  mission 
service  in  Nebraska  and  Montana ;  Mrs.  John  R.  Mott, 
whose  husband  has  left  his  influence  upon  the  students 
and  Christian  leaders  of  the  entire  world;  another 
daughter,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Stewart,  who  is  preaching  the 
gospel  in  China  with  her  husband ;  one  son,  Dr.  W.  W. 
White,  the  founder  of  the  Bible  Teachers'  Training 
School  in  New  York ;  and  another  son,  J.  Campbell 


Calling  out  Recruits  119 

White,  who  gave  years  of  his  Hfe  to  missionary  service 
in  India,  and  who  now  is  devoting  his  life  to  the  secur- 
ing of  trained  missionary  leadership  in  this  country. 
This  little  mother  never  addressed  an  audience  in  her 
life,  and  yet  she  has  literally  gone  into  all  the  world. 
About  a  year  ago  I  was  in  a  certain  city  in  the  east 
attending  a  service  one  evening  in  a  Lutheran  church. 
At  the  close  of  the  service,  the  pastor's  wife  took 
my  friend  and  me  through  that  magnificent  new  church 
building.  As  we  came  out  at  the  front  entrance,  we 
noticed  a  beautiful  electrolier  on  either  side.  "Would 
you  like  to  know  the  story  of  those  two  lights?"  she 
said  to  us.  "When  the  church  was  completed  I  saw 
the  need  of  having  some  lights  at  the  entrance,  and 
I  told  my  husband  I  wanted  to  earn  the  money  myself 
to  provide  them.  You  see,  I  have  two  children,  a  little 
boy  and  a  little  girl.  When  the  little  boy  plays  about 
the  house  he  invariably  plays  that  he  is  a  doctor,  and 
so  I  have  said  to  him:  'Mother  hopes  you  will  be  a 
doctor  some  day,  and  mother  will  help  to  earn  the 
money  to  send  you  to  college  and  then  to  the  medical 
university,  but  there  are  millions  and  millions  of 
people  in  China,  Africa,  and  India  who  haven't  any 
doctor  to  go  to  when  they  get  sick.  Mother  hopes  you 
will  be  a  doctor  and  go  to  care  for  these  people  who 
haven't  anybody  else  to  give  them  medicine.'  When 
my  little  girl  plays  about  the  house,  she  always  plays 
that  she's  a  school  teacher ;  and  so  I  said  to  her : 
'Mother  hopes  you  will  be  a  school  teacher  some  day, 
and  mother  will  help  you  get  an  education,  but  there 
are  lots  of  little  boys  and  girls  in  the  mountains  and 


120  Calling  out  Recruits 

in  the  cities  of  America,  and  millions  of  them  in 
Africa  and  China  and  India  who  never  can  go  to 
school  at  all  unless  somebody  goes  to  teach  them,  and 
so  mother  hopes  that  you  will  be  a  teacher  to  these 
boys  and  girls  who  haven't  anybody  else  to  teach  them.' 
Now,  this  mother  said  to  us,  I  put  these  two  lights  out 
here  for  my  boy  and  my  girl,  and  I  said  to  them : 
'Mother  put  these  two  lights  in  front  of  the  church 
because  she  wants  you  to  be  shining  lights  in  the 
world.  When  you  grow  up,  if  you  have  not  done  the 
thing  that  you  know  mother  wanted  you  to  do,  you 
will  be  sorry  as  you  look  at  these  lights,  but  if  you 
have  done  what  you  know  mother  wanted  you  to  do 
you  will  be  happy,  and  you  will  know  that  you  are 
mother's  two  shining  lights.'  "  See  the  atmosphere 
that  that  mother  is  creating  in  her  home. 

Not  only  in  the  home  but  in  the  local  church  to 
which  we  belong  must  we  help  to  create  this  proper 
atmosphere.  Is  our  Christianity  vital  or  formal?  A 
cold,  dead  church  will  never  produce  ministers  or 
missionaries.  I  know  of  churches  in  our  denomina- 
tion that  in  all  of  their  history  have  never  given  one 
single  recruit  to  the  ministry  or  to  the  mission  field. 
I  know  of  other  churches  which  are  content  today  with 
the  recruits  they  gave  to  the  ministry  and  the  mission 
field  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago.  How  many  young 
men  and  young  women  has  your  church  sent  into  the 
ministry  and  mission  field  within  the  last  five  or  ten 
years?  Is  your  church  the  kind  of  a  church  that  will 
produce  ministers  and  missionaries?  Is  your  church 
the  kind  of  a  church  that  makes  it  easy  for  your  young 


Calling  out  Recruits  121 

men  and  young"  women  to  answer  the  call  of  God? 
I  know  of  a  church  in  another  denomination  that  has 
not  failed  once  during  the  last  twelve  years  to  give 
at  least  one  recruit  a  year  to  the  ministry  of  that 
denomination.  Have  we  ourselves  such  abounding 
and  overflowing  experience  of  Christ  that  we  can  send 
out  a  rich  new  stream  of  the  water  of  life  into  the 
dry  and  thirsty  places  of  the  world? 

Spurgeon  once  said,  "1  should  not  like  for  you  to 
die  a  millionaire,  if  God  meant  you  to  be  a  missionary. 
I  should  not  Hke  it,  were  you  fitted  to  work  in  the 
slums,  that  you  should  be  a  mere  king.  What  are  all 
your  kings,  all  your  nobles,  all  your  diadems,  when 
you  put  them  together,  compared  with  the  dignity  of 
winning  souls  for  Jesus  Christ?'' 

"Oh,  for  a  passionate  passion  for  souls! 
Oily  for  a  pity  that  yearns! 
Oh,  for  the  love  that  loves  unto  death! 
Oh,  for  the  fire  that  burns" ! 

"Oh,  for  the  power  that  prevails, 
That  pours  out  itself  for  the  lost, 
Victorious  power  in  the  Conqueror's  name. 
The  Lord  of  Pentecost." 

Paul's  life  motive  was  not  born  of  humanitarianism, 
not  born  of  political  or  social  expediency.  Neither  was 
it  born  of  any  belief  in  his  personal  ability  or  fitness. 
He  said  he  was  not  worthy  to  become  an  apostle,  the 
least  of  all  saints  and  chief  of  sinners.     His  moUve 


122  Calling  out  Recruits 

was  begotten  of  a  supernatural  experience.  On  the 
way  to  Damascus  he  saw  the  Crucified.  His  glorious 
deity  flashed  on  him  in  all  its  mighty  and  compelling 
power,  and  Paul  had  a  revelation  of  what  he  owed 
to  One  who  loved  him  and  gave  Himself  for  him. 
Not  debtor  because  the  Jews  or  Greeks  had  done 
anything  for  him.  He  had  a  sense  of  debt  that  piled 
up  before  the  Cross.    How  it  piles  up  there ! 

Not  long  ago  I  read  of  a  Chinese  Christian,  a  son 
of  Christian  parents.  His  father  and  mother  and 
brother  and  sister  were  killed  in  the  Boxer  outbreak 
rather  than  deny  their  faith.  He  escaped  and  came  to 
America  for  five  years,  receiving  his  Ph.D.  from  one 
of  our  eastern  universities.  When  he  returned  to 
China,  he  had  to  choose  between  using  foreign  educa- 
tion in  a  business  way  to  make  a  fortune  for  himself 
or  for  Christian  service  at  a  meager  salary.  He  chose 
the  latter.  When  some  one  asked  him  his  reason,  he 
said :  *'My  reason  is  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews 
and  the  first  verse  of  the  twelfth  chapter.  I  feel  that 
in  that  crowd  of  witnesses  are  my  father  and  mother 
saying,  'There  is  our  son;  he  is  running  a  good  race.' 
How  could  I  live  my  life  selfishly  when  they  are 
watching  me?"  This  same  choice  is  before  us  all 
today.  Paul  and  all  the  other  heroes  of  the  faith, 
together  with  our  missionaries  who  have  laid  down 
their  hves,  are  in  tliat  crowd  of  witnesses.  They  are 
watching  us.     How  can  we  live  our  lives  selfishly? 


'In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 
Tow' ring  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time. 

All  the  light  of  sacred  story 
Gathers  round  its  head  sublime." 


THE  UNTOUCHED  CROSS 

An  address  (abridged)  given  by  Miss  Blinn  just  before  the 
close  ot  the  World  War. 

I  Have  lately  read  a  book  with  a  thrilling  story  entitled 
"The  Untouched  Cross."  It  tells  of  a  certain  village 
on  the  battle  front  in  France  that  had  been  torn  to 
pieces  with  shells.  A  man  went  to  this  shattered 
village  to  visit  the  survivors  and  to  arrange  for  a 
Christian  service  with  them.  He  turned  toward  the 
ruined  church  which  for  three  centuries  had  stood,  but 
now  bowed  its  head  before  the  fiery  blast  of  war. 
The  outside  walls  were  pitted  with  shrapnel  and  the 
windows  blown  to  fragments.  The  grave  stones  were 
shattered  by  shells.  He  found  he  could  not  enter  by 
the  front  door,  so  climbed  over  heaps  of  stones  and 
rubbish  to  the  side  entrance.  What  a  ghastly  sight 
met  his  eyes!  The  roof  had  fallen  through,  the  floor 
could  not  be  seen,  figures  of  saints  had  been  blown  to 
fragments.  Nothing  had  escaped.  He  walked  around 
three  parts  of  the  church  and  looked  at  the  rubbish  on 
the  floor,  then  he  lifted  his  eyes  and  saw  a  sight  which 
startled  him.  There  before  him  stood  a  large  wooden 
cross  against  the  wall,  bearing  a  life-sized  figure  of  the 
Savior,  perfectly  intact — the  only  thing  in  the  church 
undamaged  and  untouched.  Altar  gone,  saints  gone, 
roof  and  windows  gone,   chairs  gone — all  gone  save 


126  The  Untouched  Cross 

Jesus  only.  The  worshippers  had  fled  but  He  remained ; 
the  church  in  ruins  but  He  untouched.  It  was  an  awe- 
some sight  amid  that  scene  of  desolation.  Amid  the 
fiery  blasts  of  bullets  He  had  remained,  with  arms  out- 
stretched, interceding  with  God  for  a  ruined  world. 
Not  a  bullet  had  touched  Him.  Amid  the  hail  of  shells 
and  falling  masonry  nothing  had  touched  Him.  The 
clock  in  the  steeple  was  still.  It  was  a  symbol  of  time 
and  things  earthly,  and  the  shells  had  destroyed  it. 
The  crucifix  was  the  symbol  of  the  eternal,  the  undy- 
ing love  which  no  shell  can  touch. 

When  the  villagers  returned  to  their  desolate  abode 
they  would  have  nothing  left  but  the  Cross.  It  alone 
had  borne  the  blast.  It  alone  was  there  to  give  them 
welcome.  Their  homes  were  in  ruins,  their  fields  laid 
waste,  even  their  church  and  the  burial  place  of  their 
dead  were  in  ruins.  But  the  Cross  was  left  and  two 
arms  outstretched  still  to  bid  them  welcome. 

Like  that  blasted  village  and  ruined  church,  the 
world  of  our  thought  and  feeling  lies  a  heap  of  ruins 
at  our  feet.  The  mark  of  the  shell  is  on  everything. 
In  the  midst  of  our  fallen  civilization  the  Cross  alone 
stands  untouched.  Christ  stands,  in  the  midst  of  the 
fiery  blast,  with  outstretched  arms  calling  the  stricken 
people  to  the  shelter  of  His  love.  There  is  room  for 
all  the  world  between  those  arms.  For  broken  business 
men,  bereaved  parents,  lonely  maidens,  fatherless 
children,  there  is  shelter  and  solace  for  all  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  abiding  Cross.  It  towers  above 
the  wrecks  of  time.  If  that  had  gone  all  had  gone. 
We  could  never  have  replaced   the   Cross.     We  can 


The  Untouched  Cross  127 

build  new  homes,  but  never  a  new  Cross.  If  the 
Savior  had  perished,  all  had  perished.  "If  it  were 
not  for  this  vision  of  Him,"  says  the  author  of  the 
book,  "how  I  should  have  wept  when  I  saw  the 
wounded  men  come  back  in  such  numbers !" 

The  old  world  lies  in  ruins  at  our  feet  but  the  Cross 
stands  untouched,  and  we  shall  build  our  new  and 
better  civilization  round  the  Cross. 

''Ye  are  not  your  ozvn,  for  ye  are  bought  mith  a 
priced  We  are  not  our  own.  We  belong  to  Christ  who 
bought  us.  That  Christ  is  the  central  figure  of  today — 
the  only  figure  that  stands.  By  an  awful  process  of 
exclusion  the  war  is  fastening  attention  upon  the  one 
figure  that  stands.  Jesus  was  never  so  necessary,  so 
unique,  so  sufficient ;  strong  among  the  weak,  erect 
among  the  fallen,  victor  among  the  defeated,  living 
among  the  dead.  Do  we  recognize  Him  ?  "The  light 
shineth  in  darkness  and  the  darkness  comprehended 
it  not."  "He  was  in  the  world  and  the  world  knew 
Him  not."  "He  came  unto  His  own  and  His  own  re- 
ceived Him  not."  "Have  I  been  so  long  with  you,  and 
yet  hast  thou  not  known  me,  Philip?"  Do  we  know 
Him?  He  is  here  and  He  claims  us. 

"Ye  are  not  your  oimi,"  are  the  words  of  the  first 
and  greatest  interpreter  of  the  gospel  of  the  Cross. 
It  was  not  an  easy  thing  for  a  Jew,  a  scholar,  a  Roman 
citizen  to  admit  this.  "Ye  are  not  your  own,"  says 
patriotism.  You  belong  to  your  country.  Your 
American  uniforms,  your  English  and  French 
uniforms  are  a  mark  of  your  country's  ownership. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  magnificently  owned.     God 


128  The  Untouched  Cross 

claims  us  for  His  own.  The  mark  of  His  ownership  is 
upon  us.  He  can  give  a  reason  for  His  claim — *'Ye 
are  bought  with  a  price."  What  is  the  price?  ''Who 
loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me"  Gal.  2:20. 
"Christ  died  for  our  sins"  I  Cor.  15:  3.  "Who  His 
own  self  bare  our  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree" 
I  Peter  2:24.  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin"  I  John  1 :  7.  No  wonder 
Paul  said,  "I  am  debtor."  On  the  way  to  Damascus 
he  had  met  the  Crucified.  There  he  had  come  face 
to  face  with  the  Hero  of  Calvary.  After  he  had 
once  seen  the  Cross  of  Christ  all  other  crosses  were 
small.  From  that  hour  he  became  the  bond  slave  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Never  afterward  did  he  count  himself 
his  own. 

Every  privilege  we  enjoy  has  been  bought  with  a 
price.  Some  do  not  like  blood  theology  buit  it  is  the 
price.  Some  do  not  like  Calvary  but  it  is  the  price. 
There  is  a  story  of  a  man — a  Scotchman — who  kissed 
his  father's  hand — a  hand  scarred  by  sacrifice  and 
hard  service.  I  wish  you  would  kiss  the  hand  of 
Christ  that  was  pierced  for  you.  I  wish  I  could  take 
your  hand  today  and  place  it  in  His  scarred  hand. 
That  hand  represents  >the  price  He  has  paid  for  you. 
Do  not  push  it  away;  do  not  be  ashamed  of  it.  This 
is  what  the  Cross  stands  for — the  price  for  which 
He  has  redeemed  you  unto  Himself. 

But  the  Cross  stands  for  something  more.  It  stands 
to  call  us  into  fellowship  with  the  sufferings  of  Him 
who  hung  upon  it.     It  calls  us  to  be  living  witnesses 


The  Utvitoiichcd  Cross  129 

to  its  power.  "Therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body 
and  in  your  spirit,  which  are  God's."  We  cannot  add 
to  His  essential  glory  but  we  can  be  the  instruments 
through  which  His  glory  is  made  known  to  the  world. 
Personal  testimony  is  Christ's  declared  method  of 
propagating  His  gospel.  It  was  to  make  effective  wit- 
nesses that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given.  "Ye  shall 
receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon 
you  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me."  In  church 
life  today  not  one  person  in  ten  is  giving  any  effective 
testimony  and  yet  the  church  was  bought  with  a 
price.  As  a  rule  people  would  come  to  church  on 
Sunday  if  they  had  been  at  work  for  Him  during  the 
week.  They  are  not  witnessing  and  their  inactivity 
makes  them  careless  about  Bible  study,  prayer,  church 
attendance,  manner  of  life.  If  one  is  going  to  be  a 
forceful  witness  for  Christ  he  must  be  conscious  of 
what  Christ  is  doing  in  and  for  him  now. 

A  Christian  minister,  who  was  drifting  from  the 
message  of  the  Cross,  tells  how  late  one  stormy  night 
Ihere  was  a  knock  at  his  door.  On  opening  it  there 
stood  a  child,  thin  and  poorly  clad,  who  said,  timidly, 
"Sir,  my  mother  wants  you  to  come  and  get  her  in. 
She  is  dying  and  wants  you  to  come  and  get  her  in." 
The  man  put  on  his  hat  and  coat  and  went  out  with 
the  shivering  child  into  the  night.  Through  dark 
alleys  they  passed  and  finally  came  to  an  old  building 
where  they  went  up  a  rickety  flight  of  stairs  and 
entered  a  miserable  room.  By  the  dim  light  he  saw, 
over  in  the  corner,  a  woman  lying  on  a  pile  of  rags. 


130  The  Untouched  Cross 

He  sat  down  by  her  and  tried  to  talk  to  her.  He  gave 
her  extracts  from  his  sermons,  he  gave  her  other  beau- 
tiful thoughts,  but  they  all  were  unavailing.  At  last 
he  told  her  of  the  "fountain  filled  with  blood"  and 
that  there  was  power  in  it  to  cleanse  her  sins  and 
make  her  fit  to  meet  God.  She  could  understand  that 
story.  She  accepted  it  and  found  peace.  He  had 
"got  her  in,"  and,  adds  the  minister,  ''That  night  I 
got  myself  in,  too." 

It  is  the  old  story  of  the  Cross  that  this  broken 
world  needs  to  heal  its  old  heartache  and  form  a 
foundation  upon  which  to  build  its  new  hopes.  Unless 
we  give  this  to  the  world  we  give  them  nothing  that 
will  satisfy,  nothing  that  will  endure.  A  young  soldier 
just  leaving  for  the  battle  front,  was  invited  with 
others  of  his  comrades,  to  a  social  affair  held  in  their 
honor.  They  were  amused  and  entertained,  they  were 
feasted  and  flattered,  "But  I  wish  they  had  given  us 
something  for  our  souls,"  he  said,  as  he  went  away. 
"We  are  going  out  to  die  and  I  wish  they  had  given 
us  something  for  our  souls."  That  is  what  our 
shattered  world  needs  today — something  for  its  soul. 

The  only  adequate  preparation  for  the  new  and 
supreme  opportunity  after  the  war  is  a  fresh  study  of 
the  life  and  teachings  of  Christ:  JVe  must  neither 
tzuist  His  words  nor  water  down  His  teachings.  We 
must  obey  Him  as  a  private  obeys  his  captain.  The 
church  must  be  more  like  Christ.  Our  faith  must  not 
be  a  last  resort  but  the  very  dynamic  of  our  beings. 
Humanitarianism,  social  service,  secular  education  will 


The  Untouched  Cross  131 

not  suffice.  Mere  numbers,  prayerless  giving  will  not 
suffice.  The  deepest  need  is  not  for  any  material  or 
external  thing  but  for  a  vitality  in  the  church  equal 
to  its  task.  The  need  is  for  able  witnesses  to  the 
fact  that  the  Cross  is  the  one  and  only  remedy  for  the 
evils  of  our  world. 


"Therefore  if  any  man  be  In  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature: 
old  things  are  passed  away;  behold,  all  things  are  become 
new." 

II  Corinthians  5:17. 


"There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor 
free,  there  is  neither  male  or  female :  for  ye  are  all  one  In 
Christ  Jesus'' 

Galatians  3:28. 


"IN  CHRIST" 

Extract  from  address  by  Miss  Blinn. 

Read  again  the  epistles  of  Paul  and  see  how  the  words, 
*'in  Christ,"  sum  up  the  great  gospel  that  he  preached. 

"In  Christ."  All  that  God  is,  is  in  Christ;  all  that 
man  is,  is  in  Christ.  The  one  possible  meeting  place 
in  all  the  universe  between  God  and  man  is  a  meeting 
place  under  the  mystery  of  the  incarnation,  and  in  the 
atonement.  He  removes  the  curse  of  sinj  He  lays  the 
burden  of  our  sin  upon  His  own  body  and  bears  it 
upon  the  cross.  He  was  wounded  for  our  trans- 
gressions ;  the  punishment  of  our  sin  was  upon  Him, 
and  with  His  stripes  we  were  healed.  As  He  finished 
pouring  out  His  life  for  men  who  were  guilty  while 
He  himself  remained  sinless,  He  cried :  "It  is  finished," 
and  as  the  cry  breathed  itself  out,  the  veil  of  the 
temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom 
so  that  the  holy  place  became  clear  to  men,  and  that 
one  meeting  place  between  God  and  man  in  the  old 
tabernacle  was  transferred  forever  to  the  cross  in  the 
rent  veil  of  His  flesh. 

"In  Christ"  is  the  only  meeting  place  between  man 
and  man  in  all  this  universe.  Moral  conviction  is  the 
greatest  police  force  in  the  world.  Millions  of  police- 
men  will   not   make   people  do    right,   without   moral 


134  "Jn  Christ" 

conviction.  They  told  us  five  years  ago  that  war 
was  forever  impossible  be^cause  humanity  had  come  to 
realise  it  was  a  great  brotherhood.  They  told  us  that 
war,  famine,  and  pestilence  were  forever  impossible 
for  the  brotherhood  of  man  had  so  permeated  science 
that  science  had  destroyed  famine.  But  five  years 
have  revealed  to  us  the  broken  stick  of  human  brother- 
hood. It  has  been  unable  to  bear  its  burden  alone. 
War  has  ridden  its  rough  steed  through  the  whole 
world,  and  famine  and  pestilence  have  done  their 
work. 

*Tn  Christ"  labor  and  capital  can  come  together. 
The  signing  of  a  peace  treaty  will  not  take  out  of 
the  heart  of  the  average  man  the  willingness  to  make 
gain  of  his  employee.  Where  will  labor  get  a  fair 
deal?  Where  will  capital  find  a  heart  of  humani'iy? 
*'In  Christ." 

'Tn  Christ"  all  races  can  meet.  East  and  west  can- 
not meet  in  absolute  guaranty  of  peace  and  unity  save 
in  Christ.  No  power  in  man  anywhere  on  God's  globe 
can  break  down  distinctive  fundamental  race  differ- 
ences and  antagonisms.  Christ  alone  takes  away 
dififerences  and  brings  men  into  one  family  in  one 
new  birth. 


The  King's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within* 

Psalms  45:13 


FAVORITE  POEMS  OF  VERA  BLINN. 


THE   WORKER  S   PRAYER. 

Prepare  us,  Lord,  for  this  great  work  of  thine 

By  thine  own  process ;  we  know  not  the  way 
To  fit  ourselves ;  we  only  grope ;  the  day 

Is  thine ;  its  light,  a  ray  from  thee  divine, 

Illumines  the  path  where  thou  wouldst  have  it  shine; 
And  in  thy  Light  our  own  poor  struggling  ray 
Gets  nev\^  encouragement  until  we  say. 

With  longing  hearts,  ''Thy  will  be  done,  not  mine." 

Then  we  are  ready;  then  thou  wilt  use  our  powers 
To  spread  thy  Kingdom  and  build  up  thy  cause; 

And  thou  wilt  make  our  consecrated  hours 

Our  sunniest ;  nor  will  the  world's  applause 

Affect  our  service,  for  we  look  to  thee 

For  all  we  have  and  all  we  hope  to  be. 

Used   by    Vera    Blinn   in   Evangel 


Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn  137 


Straight  through  my  heart  this  fact  today, 

By  truth's  own  hand  is  driven, 
God  never  takes  one  thing  away. 

But  something  else  is  given. 

I  did  not  know  in  earher  years 

This  law  of  love  and  kindness; 
I  only  mourned,  through  bitter  tears, 

My  loss  in  sorrow's  blindness. 

But  ever  following  each  regret 

O'er  some  departed  treasure, 
My  sad,  repining  heart  was  met 

With  unexpected  pleasure. 

I  thought  it  only  happened  so. 

But  Time  this  truth  has  taught  me, 

No  least  thing  from  my  life  can  go, 
But  something  else  is  brought  me. 

It  is  the  law,  complete,  sublime, 

And  now  with  faith  unshaken. 
In  patience,  I  but  bide  my  time, 

When  any  joy  is  taken. 

No  matter  if  the  crushing  blow 

May  for  the  moment  down  me, 
Still  back  of  it  waits  Love,  I  know, 

With  some  new  gift  to  crown  me. 

From    Vera    Blinn's    Note    Book 


138  Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn 


HE   IS   COUNTING   ON    YOU 

"He  is  counting  on  you," 

On  your  silver  and  gold, 

On  that  treasure  you  hold  ; 

On  that  treasure  still  kept, 

Though  the  doubt  o'er  you  swept. 

"Is  this  gold  not  all  mine?" 

(Lord,  I  knew  it  was  thine.) 

He  is  counting  on  you, 

H  you  fail  him — what  then? 

"He  is  counting  on  you," 
On  a  love  that  will  share 
In  his  burden  of  prayer 
For  the  soul  he  has  bought 
With  his  life  blood ;  and  sought, 
Through  his  sorrows  and  pain, 
To  win  "Home"  once  again. 
He  is  counting  on  you. 
If  you  fail  him — what  then? 

"He  is  counting  on  you," 

On  life,  money,  and  prayer ; 

And  "the  day  shall  declare" 

If  you  let  him  have  all 

In  response  to  his  call ; 

Or  if  he  in  that  day, 

To  your  sorrow  must  say, 

"I  have  counted  on  you. 

But  you  failed  me." — What  then? 


Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn  139 


"He  is  counting  on  you," 

Oh,  the  wonder  and  grace, 

To  look  Christ  in  the  face, 

And  not  be  ashamed. 

For  you  gave  what  he  claimed. 

And  you  laid  down  your  all 

For  his  sake — at  his  call. 

For  he  had  counted  on  you, 

And  you  failed  not. — What  then  ? 

Used  by  Vera  Blinn  in  Evangel 


THE   LEAST   OF  THESE 

Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Q-iink ; 

Greaser,  and  Nigger,  and  Jap ; 
The  devil  invented  these  terms,  I  think. 

To  hurl  at  each  hopeful  chap 
Who  comes  so  far  over  the  foam 

To  this  land  of  his  heart's  desire, 
To  rear  his  brood,  to  build  his  home, 

And  to  kindle  his  hearthstone  fire. 
While  the  eyes  with  joy  are  blurred, 

Lo,  we  make  the  strong  man  sink. 
And  stab  the  soul  with  the  hateful  word. 
Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Chink. 


140  Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn 

Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Chink; 

These  are  the  vipers  that  swarm 
Up  from  the  edge  of  perdition's  brink, 

To  hurt  and  dishearten  and  harm. 
Oh,  shame,  when  their  Roman  forebears  walked 

Where  the  first  of  the  Caesars  trod ; 
Oh,  shame,  when  their  Hebrew  father  talked 

With  Moses,  and  he  with  God. 
These  swarthy  sons  of  Japheth  and  Shem 

Gave  tlie  goblet  of  Life's  sv/eet  drink 
To  the  thirsty  world,  which  now  gives  them. 

Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Chink. 

Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Chink ; 

Greaser,  and  Nigger,  and  Jap ; 
From  none  of  them  doth  Jehovah  shrink; 

He  lifteth  them  all  to  his  lap. 
And  the  Christ,  m  his  kingly  grace. 

When  their  sad  low  sob  he  hears. 
Puts  his  tender  embrace  around  our  race, 

As  he  kisses  away  its  tears ; 
Saying,  *'0  least  of  these,  I  link 

Thee  to  me,  for  whatever  may  hap ; 
Dago,  and  Sheeny,  and  Chink ; 

Greaser,  and  Nigger,  and  Jap." 

Bishop   Mclntyre 


Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn  141 


OUR  BEST 

God  wants  our  best ;  he,  in  the  far-off  ages, 

Once  claimed  the  firstHngs  of  the  flock,  the  finest  of 
the  wheat; 
And  still  he  asks  his  own,  with  gentlest  pleading, 
To  lay  their  highest  hopes  and  brightest  talents  at 
his  feet; 
He'll  not  forget  the  feeblest  service,  humblest  love; 
He  only  asks    that  of  our  store,  we  give  to  him  the 
best  we  have. 

Christ  gives  the  best ;  he  takes  the  hearts  we  offer, 
And   fills  them  with  his  glorious  beauty,   joy   and 
peace, 
And  in  his  service,  as  we're  growing  stronger, 

The  calls  to  grand  achievements  still  increase ; 
The  richest  gifts   for  us,  on   earth  or  in  the  heaven 
above, 
Are  hid  in  Christ.     In  Jesus  we  receive  the  best  w^e 
have. 

And  is  our  best  too  much  ?    O  friends,  let  us  remember 
How  once  our  Lord  poured  out  his  soul  for  us. 

And  in  the  prime  of  his  mysterious  manhood. 
Gave  up  his  precious  life  upon  the  cross. 

The  Lord  of  lords,  by  whom  the  worlds  were  made, 
Through  bitter  grief  and  tears,  gave  us  the  best  he 
had. 

Quoted    often    by    Vera    Blinn. 


142  Favorite  Poems  of  Miss  Blinn 

A  world's  heartache 

"The  great  world's  heart  is  aching,  aching,  fiercely  in 

the  night, 
And  God  alone  can  heal  it,  and  God  alone  give  light ; 
And  the  men  to  hear  that  message,  and  to  speak  the 

living  word, 
Are  you  and   I,  my  brothers,   and  the  millions  that 

have  heard. 

"Can  we  close  our  eyes  to  duty?  Can  we  fold  our 
hands  at  ease. 

While  the  gates  of  night  stand  open  to  the  pathways 
of  the  seas? 

Can  we  shut  up  our  compassions?  Can  we  leave  our 
prayer  unsaid 

Till  the  lands  which  sin  have  blasted  have  been  quick- 
ened from  the  dead? 

"We  grovel  among  trifles,  and  our  spirits  fret  and  toss, 
While  above  us  burns  the  vision  of  the  Christ  upon 

the  cross ; 
And  the  blood  of  Christ  is  streaming  from  his  broken 

hands  and  side, 
And  the  lips  of  Christ  are  saying,  'Tell  my  brothers  I 

have  died.' 

"O  voice  of  God,  we  hear  thee  above  the  shocks  of 

time, 
Thine   echoes    roll    around    us,    and    the   message    is 

sublime; 
No  power  of  man  shall  thwart  us,  no  stronghold  shall 

dismay. 
When  God  commands  obedience,  and  love  has  led  the 
way." 

Used  by  Vera  Blinn  on  front  page  of  E\rangel 


"Thy    memory,    on    thy    Master's    breast, 
Uplifts  us  like  the  beckoning  stars. 
We  follow  now  as  thou  hast  led; 
Baptise  us.  Savior,  for  the  dead." 


